Origins of the Heart
by stargazer824
Summary: Follow Ashlyn Mahariel and her fellow Grey Wardens on their journey to defeat the Blight. Main pairing will be Ashlyn/Zevran with other pairings of Arianna Cousland/Alistair and Jayden Amell/Leliana. This will be a long story that combines 3 origins.
1. Chapter 1 Dalish Origin

A/N: This is the first fanfiction I have ever attempted to write. I would love any comments, suggestions, or feedback to help me improve this massive story I am inspired to tell. The main focus will be on a Dalish female rogue elf, but a male circle mage and a female noble warrior will also be a part of the story, my way of combining 3 of the origins.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

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Chapter 1 – Dalish Origin

There is something truly freeing about running through the forest_. _

_Especially if you happen to be hunting with the love of your life_, Ashlyn Mahariel thought as she kept pace beside her best friend since childhood. To many of their Dalish clan, Tamlen was already her life mate. It was rare to see one without the other. He had yet to formally ask Keeper Marethari for Ashlyn's hand, but many of the clan suspected it was only a matter of time.

Tamlen halted their progress just under a grand old oak tree. "So how did you manage to get out of storytelling duty with Paivel?" he asked with mischief in his eyes. "Not that I mind the company when I am patrolling."

"You know me… I can be persuasive when I need to be. Besides, I wanted to spend the day with you," Ashlyn said in a shy voice.

Tamlen smiled and gently tucked a stray black hair behind one of Ashlyn's delicate pointy ears, causing a slight blush to appear on her cheeks. "I… thought that might be the case," he whispered gently. "I am glad."

He cradled her face with his hands and gazed into her bright green eyes. As he began to descend to her lips, they heard crashing movement further up the trail.

"Time to get to work. We'll continue this later," Tamlen promised.

They took off toward the sound of the disturbance. He motioned for her to stay back while he confronted the three intruders who were rushing down the path as if a large pack of mabari hounds were trailing them. Tamlen stepped onto the trail several yards in front of the trespassers. He had an arrow notched on his bow and locked on to the closest human. The men came to a stumbling halt.

"It's the Dalish!" one of the shemlen cried. "Please don't hurt us! We mean you no harm."

"What do we have here?" Tamlen asked.

"I believe we have a group of bandits that's wondered too close to our camp," Ashlyn said as she approached from the side with her bow locked and loaded, flanking the men between them. _They look terrified. I wonder what has made them so frightened. _

"And just what were you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" Tamlen questioned.

"We were just exploring some ancient caves nearby. They must be full of treasure. We will tell you the location if you will just please let us go!" another of the shemlen spoke up.

"Oh, so you are thieves instead of bandits. And what would make thieves run from a cave when there was fortune to be had?" Tamlen questioned the new speaker.

"We were attacked by monsters," the human replied.

"Monsters, really?" Tamlen rolled his eyes at Ashlyn. "Do you have any proof of these alleged riches?" Tamlen asked the shem.

"Yes, right here." The man in front held a stone out to Tamlen. As Tamlen accepted the artifact, a look of wonder passed over his face.

"There are elvish markings all over this." Tamlen glanced up and met Ashlyn's eyes. She could tell he was asking her whether or not to trust the human men and let them go. They had been companions for so long, words were often unnecessary, and sometimes just a look was all that was needed for communication.

With a small nod of acknowledgement toward Tamlen, Ashlyn spoke up. "Tell us where these caves are, and we shall let you move on."

"Just back the trail to the west," said a relieved shem. "Thank you."

As the humans turned and took off away from the Dalish camp, Tamlen sternly called after them. "Do not venture this way again."

"We should go check this cave out. Maybe we will find clues to our history," Tamlen said as he returned his attention to the stone.

"I don't know about this," Ashlyn said hesitantly. "I have a bad feeling about these monsters the humans mentioned. They looked so scared when we first came upon them. I would feel better if we returned to camp and asked Keeper Marethari for a scouting party to return and search the caves."

"This could be my chance Ashlyn, to redeem myself in Keeper Marethari's eyes. If I were to bring back some valuable ancestral artifact, she might forgive me for… well, you know."

* * * * * Flashback * * * * *

Tamlen was referring to a recent incident involving a small group of elves from a sister Dalish clan. Being wanderers, Dalish clans will sometimes cross paths. The last time their clan had guests, an arrogant male hunter from the visiting clan took an interest in Ashlyn. He was a flat ear who had been somewhat of a bully before leaving the city life behind to join the Dalish. One night, when Ashlyn was coming back from hunting, this elf and three of his buddies accosted her. She tried to be diplomatic and remove herself from the situation gracefully, but the chauvinistic male would not take no for an answer. Before she realized what was happening, one of his friends had come up from behind and brought an arm around her waist. A dagger raised to her throat stopped her struggling.

"Let me go," Ashlyn demanded.

"No, I don't think I will," her admirer replied. "Remove her weapons." The other two elves stripped her bow and daggers from her.

"You see, I believe you would make an excellent partner for me," the leader spoke coarsely. "Your beauty and skill are unrivaled in this region. Of course, if you are unreceptive to this idea, perhaps we will just have to convince you to keep us… entertained this evening instead," he murmured as he gazed predatorily down her body.

Ashlyn's heart rate spiked as the meaning of his words registered in her mind. She looked around at the eager faces of the elves staring longingly at her and realized she had no choice but to fight her way free. She was still an innocent and had no intention of being with anyone besides Tamlen. _But how am I going to get away from this dagger and fight off four adult male elves by myself?_ The dagger had already started to dig into her neck where she could feel a drop of blood running down toward her chest. She was planning her escape from the immediate threat of the dagger at her throat when an arrow went flying by her head, striking the elf holding her captive. Ashlyn's eyes darted out to the forest to see a sight that took her breath away. Tamlen and his best friend, Fenarel, stood motionless about thirty yards out with loaded bows trained on the group of males. Tamlen looked furious.

"Let her go!" Tamlen directed at the arrogant elf.

"I didn't realize you were already spoken for," the egotistical male said to Ashlyn. "I guess this means we will just have to eliminate the competition."

Ashlyn's rogue skills flared to life when she saw the male who threatened her bring out his sword and shield before he faced her clansmen. His remaining comrades followed suit by preparing their weapons as well. With their backs turned to her, Ashlyn picked up the dagger her ex-captor had dropped when Tamlen shot him in the shoulder. She brought the hilt down hard against the back of the arrogant elf leader's head, effectively knocking him to the ground.

"We cannot kill them," Tamlen told Fenarel as they deftly drew their swords and charged to battle the two elves that remained standing. "We do not want to start a war with our elven brethren."

It took only a few strategically placed strikes before the visiting clan's elves were knocked out on the ground. The elf with the arrow in his shoulder was the worst off, but even that was only a flesh wound. They would survive.

Tamlen rushed to Ashlyn's side and gathered her in his arms. "Are you all right?" he whispered into her hair. She nodded against his chest as she released a relieved breath. "They deserve to die for threatening you."

Suddenly, the sound of an approaching party caused Tamlen to jump into action. "Fenarel, take Ashlyn and return to camp. Now."

"But what about all of these ruffians?" Fenarel started. "No, we're staying with you," Ashlyn spoke at the same time.

Tamlen had moved to recover Ashlyn's discarded weapons. He swiftly brought them back to her. "Please go. A group of patrolling elves must be coming to investigate the noise of our fight. I don't want either of you to get in trouble over this. I will take care of everything. Trust me." Tamlen's pleas moved Fenarel into doing as he was requested. With a strong grip on Ashlyn's arm, Feneral started to pull her away back towards camp.

"I will find you both later. I promise," Tamlen said while staring into Ashlyn's worried eyes. "Now go, quickly."

Tamlen watched as his companions disappeared into the forest. Ashlyn was his whole world… he would do anything to protect her. This included guarding her honor. He would not allow anyone to find out what had almost happened to her. Nor would he allow any punishment to befall her for a situation that she could not control.

"Wake up, you filth!" Tamlen shouted at the leader while kicking him in the side. He had to work quickly to make sure this bastard was going to cooperate before the approaching elves arrived.

"What do you want?" the elf replied hesitantly.

"It would be prudent for you to follow my lead when I explain what happened to the coming group of patrolling elves. Do not mention either of my companions, unless you want me to explain what you were planning on doing to Ashlyn. I am sure both our clans' Keepers would be very interested as to why she has a knife wound on her neck."

The elf's fear spiked as he realized what his punishment could be. The other downed elves were just starting to awaken as Keeper Marethari appeared with several guards.

"Tamlen, what is going on here?" she demanded.

Tamlen proceeded to explain that it was just a bit of friendly rough housing. "Then why has he been shot?" Keeper Marethari indicated toward the elf with an arrow still lodged in his shoulder.

"It was his own fault," the leader of the visiting clan elves said. "We came out here to… unwind a bit when Tamlen stumbled upon us. My friend did not identify himself when Tamlen ordered him to. It was all just a misunderstanding."

"Was anyone else involved?" Keeper Marethari asked the visiting elf.

Tamlen gave the elf a hard look that threatened retribution if he divulged any other information. "No Keeper," the elf replied. "We are sorry for the disturbance."

Keeper Marethari did not look convinced. "Please excuse Tamlen for his hastiness. My guards will help you return to your camp. We will send a healer for your friend. Tamlen, you will follow me."

* * * * * End Flashback * * * * *

Keeper Marethari had questioned Tamlen for an hour, but Tamlen would not speak of what really happened. He knew the Keeper was disappointed in him, and he would have to work hard to regain her favor before he could ask to be joined with Ashlyn. Discovering ancient ruins could give him the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"Thank you for covering for me, by the way." Ashlyn said to Tamlen.

Tamlen smiled gently at Ashlyn. "Of course…You know I would do anything for you, lethallan."

Ashlyn stared into Tamlen's pleading eyes and knew she could not deny him anything. "Okay, let's go see if this cave actually exists. I am still not sure if I wish to enter it without back-up though," Ashlyn said as they turned to head west up the trail.

Before long, they reached the cave entrance. It was obvious that someone had already been there with the way vines had been cut away from the opening. "We'll just look around long enough to see if there are any clues to our elven history before we return to camp and report to Keeper Marethari," Tamlen said. He took Ashlyn's hand and led her through the mouth of the cave.

Just inside the cave, Ashlyn got a bad feeling. "Something doesn't feel right about this place," she said. Dalish elves have high survival skills which allow them to sense the locations as well as the intentions of others. Ashlyn sensed something ominous was waiting for them further inside.

"I know what you mean. It almost feels as if there is an evil presence here. Let's take a quick look around and get out of here," Tamlen responded.

They discovered a series of hallways and rooms. Spider webs dangled down from the ceiling, and lining the walls were statues that were thickly coated in dust. Tamlen wondered aloud if perhaps their ancestors had once lived under ground like the dwarves. Just as Ashlyn was about to respond that she would not enjoy living below the surface, the distinct sound of sword being removed from a sheath reached their ears.

Ashlyn reacted by drawing her daggers while Tamlen readied his bow. "Whatever it is, it's just around this corner…" Ashlyn stated before skillfully evading a sword strike. Tamlen shot the creature with two arrows at once. Then Ashlyn finished it off by stabbing her right blade deep into its chest.

"Was that a walking corpse?" Tamlen asked as they crouched down to study the creature. Rotting flesh covered its grotesque features.

"It certainly looks like one. It moved like it was a drunkard in its former life," Ashlyn said before glancing up. "Oh lovely, it brought friends." Three corpses were stumbling toward them and two more suddenly rose up from where they had been laying on the ground. Ashlyn took the lead fighting her way through the group of monsters while Tamlen sniped several from behind.

When the last dead body was returned to the floor, Tamlen closed the distance to Ashlyn. "Are you all right?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, I am, but can we please leave now. I don't want to run into any more of those monsters."

"I agree… wait, what is that?" Tamlen pointed to a large mirror in the center of the next room. "Let's take a quick look at that and then head back, okay?"

Ashlyn followed Tamlen to inspect the large mirror. "Tamlen, I don't like this. Please, let's just go."

"One sec, I see something moving in the mirror." Tamlen reached out and touched the mirror with his left hand.

Ashlyn could tell something had happened once the mirror was touched. She began to feel dizzy and her vision went dark. The last thing she remembered was hearing Tamlen crying out, frightened that the mirror was overtaking him.

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - - -

_Ugh… why does my head hurt so much? _Ashlyn awoke with a terrible headache. Then a sudden moment of clarity struck her. "Tamlen!" Ashlyn exclaimed as her eyes opened.

"I was hoping you might be able to tell me where he is," said a sad voice to her right. Ashlyn glanced over and saw Fenarel keeping vigil at her side.

"You mean he is not here?" Ashlyn asked worriedly.

"No, only you were returned to us. A Grey Warden brought you here a few days ago. Keeper Marethari asked that I bring you to her immediately once you were awake." Fenarel got to his feet and gently helped Ashlyn off of the cot where she had been laying.

"A few days?..." Ashlyn whispered aloud in disbelief. Her thoughts were running rampant as Fenarel escorted her to the Keeper. _What happened back at those ruins? How could I have been unconscious for so long? Is Tamlen all right? I must return to those ruins as soon as possible._

By the time they reached the Keeper, Ashlyn was near frantic with worry. "Praise the gods you are up and about, da' len," Keeper Marethari said while embracing Ashlyn. "It would have been devastating to lose two of our young. What do you remember of what happened?"

Ashlyn explained how they had discovered shems while patrolling and learned of the ancient ruins. "I asked Tamlen to come back here for a scouting party, but he wanted to make sure the caves were worth an exploration before returning to tell you about it. We were attached by walking corpses inside, and right as we were getting ready to leave, Tamlen spotted a giant mirror. Something happened when he touched the mirror… I remember nothing after that."

Keeper Marethari and Fenarel listened quietly during Ashlyn's accounting of the events before she was brought back to camp. "Animated corpses? This is the work of dark magic. Could you find these caves again?" the Keeper asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Take my second, Merrill, and return to look for Tamlen. Merrill's magic may be useful in case you run into trouble."

"I wish to accompany Ashlyn as well," Fenarel spoke up.

When Keeper Marethari hesitated, he reasoned, "Tamlen is my best friend… he would have done the same for me. And Ashlyn could use extra protection. She is by no means completely recovered."

"Fenarel makes a good point, Ashlyn. Are you sure you are up for this?"

"Yes, I am just eager to leave. I am worried about Tamlen," Ashlyn replied.

"As are we all da' len. Very well, Fenarel and Merrill will accompany you back to those caves. You should know that Duncan, the Grey Warden who found you, has returned to the ruins as well. He said he came this way because he sensed darkspawn nearby. Please be careful and bring back any clues you can as to what caused your illness."

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - - -

Once Ashlyn and Fenarel found Merrill, the trio set off to find the caves. Ashlyn led her fellow clan members quickly through the forest to the cave entrance. "It feels different here now, more sinister and darker than before. Be on your guard," Ashlyn warned as they entered the cavern.

"There are creatures in the next room. Prepare your weapons," Merrill instructed. Ashlyn pulled her daggers from the sheaths on her back and took a deep breath. _I have to find Tamlen. Gods, please let him be all right. _She exhaled and rushed into the adjacent room which contained about a dozen monsters that were more hideous than the walking corpses she had faced before. _So, these are darkspawn, _Ashlyn thought as she stabbed a Genlock in its torso. _Ugly, disgusting creatures… not very bright though. _She gracefully spun around and blocked an attack from another Genlock. In her periphery vision, she saw arrows and magical bolts flying through the air.

Ashlyn, Merrill, and Fenarel had finished off the band of Genlocks within minutes. "How are you holding up, Ashlyn?" Fenarel asked with concern.

"I'm good." _A little winded, but no reason to get them worried._ "Why?"

"You just look a little pale, da' len. The Keeper said to keep an eye on you. We know you are not completely recovered from your ordeal," Merrill said soothingly.

"I am fine, really. The room with the mirror is just through… here." _There is someone already in there, but I sense a good presence. _

The group walked up behind a tall human male with dark hair tied back behind his head. He turned as he heard their approach.

"Duncan?" Merrill asked.

"Yes. Keeper Marethari didn't send you searching for me, I hope," Duncan replied.

"No, we are here searching for our missing brother, Tamlen. And for clues as to why Ashlyn got sick," Merrill indicated towards Ashlyn.

"So we finally meet," Duncan said with a smile. "You possess surprisingly strong will power to be up and about, let alone fighting… so soon after being exposed to the taint."

"Taint?" Ashlyn questioned.

"This mirror is of Tevinter origin. It must have broken long ago, allowing the same taint which the darkspawn carry to seep into it," Duncan explained.

"We should take this back the Keeper," Merrill said.

"No, this mirror is too dangerous. We cannot allow it to infect other members of our clan," Ashlyn instantly spoke against the idea of transporting the mirror back to their camp.

"I agree with Ashlyn. The mirror needs to be destroyed. Its essence has been drawing darkspawn to it, making this forest unsafe for any who pass through," Duncan stated.

"Do it," Fenarel said to Duncan. "Make sure this thing never hurts anyone else again."

Duncan pulled his sword from its sheath and powerfully struck the mirror, instantly shattering it into thousands of glass shards. "It is done," he said. "I would like to accompany you back to your camp. I have urgent need to speak with your Keeper."

"We can't return yet. We haven't found Tamlen," Ashlyn said in a panicked voice.

"It is unlikely he is still alive. You were out for just a few days with the healing magic of your people. Your friend Tamlen was alone with no magical aid. If the taint did not kill him, then the darkspawn would have found him," Duncan informed the clearly distraught group of elves.

"We must at least find his body so he can be honored with a funeral ceremony," Fenarel choked out.

"I am so sorry to tell you this… Darkspawn are known to consume their victims," Duncan sadly explained.

"No, dear gods… no," Ashlyn cried as she fell to her knees. Merrill placed a comforting hand Ashlyn's shoulder.

"You are… were the closest to him Ashlyn. Do you sense him anywhere in these ruins?"

Ashlyn closed her eyes and reached out with her mind. _Tamlen, please be here._ She searched for him mentally for several minutes. _Nothing... I don't feel his presence at all. _She opened her eyes and whispered, "Let's go."

The group somberly made their way back to the Dalish camp. Duncan immediately sought out a private audience with Keeper Marethari. Ashlyn was given the task of informing Paivel of the impending funeral that would need to be performed in tribute to Tamlen. She knew she was in shock, but she refused to break down yet. She wasn't ready to let his death become real.

She was sitting quietly under a looming willow tree when Duncan and Keeper Marethari approached her. Keeper Marethari spoke first.

"Da' len, we have some very important things to discuss with you. My magic will not be able to sustain you forever. I sense the taint is fighting to take over even as we speak. Duncan says the Grey Wardens can help you, but he is asking for something in return."

"The Grey Warden numbers are few, and I am always looking for new recruits… especially with the impending Blight," Duncan said meeting Ashlyn's heartrending gaze. "You would make an excellent addition to our ranks. You continued to fight darkspawn even while the taint was weighing you down. By joining us, you will be protected from the taint for many years. But I must warn you, it will eventually take your life, whether you accept my offer or remain with your clan."

Ashlyn remained silent while she absorbed the devastating news. _I had a feeling I was not going to be able to escape this taint. Perhaps leaving with Duncan will be for the best. I will be able to fight those who took Tamlen from me. And I will only be reminded of him if I remain here…_

"I would be honored to join the Grey Wardens. I have just one request. May I please stay for Tamlen's funeral?" Ashlyn said sadly.

"I will not deny you this, but we must leave soon after. I must reach Castle Cousland in Highever in a few days time," Duncan said.

Time passed quickly for Ashlyn. Before she knew it, the clan had said their prayers for Tamlen, and the seed of a white ash tree was planted where his body should have rested. Ashlyn insisted that it be an ash tree growing at his pseudo burial place, for she knew she was leaving a part of herself there with that seed. This way, the name of the tree which grew in Tamlen's memory was linked with her own.

_It all feels so surreal…_ Ashlyn thought as she was embraced by fellow clan members when she said her goodbyes. They would be moving on soon to another part of the Brecilian Forest in hopes of finding a safer location, one without darkspawn or wondering thieves.

Ashalle was the last of her clan to embrace her. She was Ashlyn's godmother and had raised her since she was an infant. "You be safe, da' len. Know you always have a family waiting for you. I love you, my little Lyna," Ashalle said using Ashlyn's nickname from when she was young. She then handed Ashlyn a set of exceptionally crafted Dalish cured armor, gloves, and boots. "This set belonged to your mother. I had been saving it for a special occasion."

"Ma scrannas, Ashalle. Thank you. This will help me remember where I come from… wherever I go."

_"Try to find some happiness on your journey…" _Those were Ashalle's final words to Ashlyn. Tamlen's loss weighed heavily on Ashlyn's heart, and she had no idea what the future would hold for her. She couldn't help but wonder, "_How much worse could things possibly get?"_


	2. Chapter 2 Ostagar

A/N: Fair warning - I included some dialogue from the game because I wanted to remain as true to the story as I could. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

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Chapter 2 – Ostagar

Traveling with Duncan was the first of what was to be many new experiences for Ashlyn. In this particular case, it was riding together behind him on his horse. It seemed wrong to use the animal in this way, as the Dalish elves would never treat the halla in such a manner. But as Duncan reminded her, they were in a hurry. Forces were gathering in Ostagar under King Cailan's banner to take a stand against a building darkspawn horde that had gathered in the Korcari Wilds. Duncan was sure this was the beginning of a Blight, and he needed to seek out another recruit in Highever before the battle commenced. He planned on dropping Ashlyn off in Ostagar on his way to Highever so that the mages there could help her keep the taint under control until the Joining ritual was performed.

_At least he is kind to his horse_, Ashlyn thought as they traveled along. Duncan stopped often to let the horse drink from streams and rest. It was at one of these stops that she sensed a wounded animal nearby. In addition to having strong survival skills, Ashlyn was also specialized as a ranger. Rangers could easily commune with beings in nature, and she had the impression that a wolf was in pain just a little further down the stream.

"I'll be right back," Ashlyn said to Duncan as she went to investigate what was causing the wolf such distress. She walked into a small clearing, and quickly perceived several hidden spring traps. Close to the stream, she located the animal and the reason for its suffering. A beautiful grey forest wolf was struggling to free her back right leg from the clutches of one of those cruel traps. _What sort of horrid person would leave so many traps strewn about? Well, there is no way that I am going to leave such a remarkable creature to this merciless fate._

The female wolf growled low as Ashlyn approached. While looking into the animal's eyes, Ashlyn gently spoke, "Shhh, it is all right my friend. I want to help you." The wolf thoroughly assessed Ashlyn, as if trying to determine whether the elf could be trusted. She finally quieted down, and Ashlyn knew it was safe to advance. She knelt next to the wolf and set to work on disabling the trap. Once the wolf's leg was free, she gave a quick lick to Ashlyn's cheek in thanks. "You are most welcome," Ashlyn said with a small smile.

"That is the first smile I have seen from you," Duncan stated from several yards away. The forest wolf snarled and instantly placed herself between Ashlyn and Duncan.

"It's okay. Hush now, he is a friend as well," Ashlyn told her growling protector while she soothingly stroked the soft hair along the animal's back. The wolf calmed down but remained by the water as Ashlyn stood to go meet Duncan.

"I am sorry Duncan. I know I have not been an easy companion to travel with," Ashlyn said.

"I understand, no need to apologize. The past several days have been extremely difficult for you. Are you ready to move on?"

"Umm, give me just a second." Ashlyn picked up a fallen branch and used it to disable the rest of the traps in clearing. All the while, the wolf's sharp eyes followed Ashlyn's movements. When the last trap was rendered useless, Ashlyn walked back to the wolf.

"There now, you won't have to worry about getting caught in any of those traps again," she told the wolf. She brought her travel bag down from her shoulder and searched inside it for a moment. After retrieving a health poultice and some bandages, she sat next to the wolf and quickly dressed its back leg wounds. "That should do it. You ought to be healed up in no time. Farewell my friend, take care of yourself," she said giving one last caress to the animal's head. The wolf gave another small lick to Ashlyn's hand to say goodbye and raced off through the trees.

Duncan smiled at Ashlyn as they returned to where the horse was waiting. "I have met very few true rangers in all of my travels, but I am most impressed by the kindness and compassion you showed to that forest wolf. You have an amazing gift," Duncan complemented.

"Thank you Duncan. Not just for saying that, but for everything you have done. I know I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't found me and taken me back to Keeper Marethari. I am also grateful that you asked me to join the Grey Wardens. You have given me something to fight for again… I will do my best not to let you down."

"I have complete faith in you, Ashlyn. You will be a welcome addition to our ranks. Now, let's get back on the road. We should reach Ostagar before sundown if we hurry."

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - - -

Ostagar was a massive fortress built up on the cliffs overseeing the Korcari Wilds. But even though the size was remarkable, it was all of the people there that drew Ashlyn's attention. _Duncan is a human, and all things considered, traveling with him was not bad at all. He is genuinely a good person. Perhaps my people have outcast themselves for so long that we really do not know the true character of the humans._

As they dismounted, Ashlyn asked, "When are you leaving for Castle Cousland?"

"First thing tomorrow morn---"

"Duncan, you're back!" An excited voice interrupted. "And you brought a friend? Well, she looks to be a Dalish elf so I hope she is friendly," a strawberry-blond human male said with a wide smile.

"She is our new sister, Alistair. This is Ashlyn Mahariel of the Dalish elves, and yes, she is very friendly… once you give her the chance to actually speak," Duncan said laughing at Alistair.

Alistair walked right over to Ashlyn and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Ashlyn of the Dalish elves. I am Alistair, junior member of the Grey Wardens, and from now on your never ending source of jokes and comic relief."

Alistair's attitude was infectious and Ashlyn could not help but teasingly ask Duncan, "Is he always like this?"

Duncan laughed and said, "Oh he is just getting warmed up. Don't worry, you get used to him in time. Alistair, would you mind finding a tent for Ashlyn and getting her settled in for the night?"

"Of course not. It would be my honor, my lady," Alistair said while bowing to Ashlyn.

"Thank you, Alistair. I must seek out the mages, but I wish to speak to you before you go to sleep," Duncan said.

"Sure thing Duncan. Right this way," Alistair said leading Ashlyn towards the Grey Warden camp while Duncan headed off towards where the mages were gathered.

Along the way, Alistair kept pointing out different areas of the fortress. "The King's army camp is just to the north, and the Circle Mages are currently making their home to the east. You can reach the quartermaster and the Chantry priests if you continue up that path. And here we are… home sweet home," Alistair motioned with his hands towards an area of the camp full of tents and large bonfires. Now why don't you just have a seat right here by the fire, and I will return shortly with some food-like substance we call dinner around here."

Ashlyn placed her travel pack on the ground and gratefully sat down. The trip to Ostagar had been rough. She was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Alistair returned quickly with two steaming bowls. "You got lucky on your first night, this rabbit stew is actually edible." He handed her one of the bowls and took a seat next to her.

Ashlyn hesitantly took a bite. _This isn't so bad. It just needs some seasoning._ Ashlyn reached into her pack to find the bundle of herbs she brought. All elves were taught at a young age about herbs… which ones could heal, poison, or be used in food preparation. Finding what she was looking for, she asked Alistair for his bowl.

"If you think you can improve it, be my guest." Alistair gave his partially eaten bowl to her. She sprinkled a few of the herbs over both bowls of stew and gave his back.

He accepted the bowl but then just stared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Just was going to watch you eat it first... Make sure you didn't poison it or anything," Alistair replied with a grin.

"Ha, ha." Ashlyn rolled her eyes then took a bite of her stew. _Oh yes, this is much better._ When Alistair saw the contentment spread over Ashlyn's face, he cautiously tried the stew.

"Wow, that's what stew is supposed to taste like. Now, if you happen to have some cheese in that sack, you would become my new favorite person," Alistair said before really digging in to his bowl.

Ashlyn smiled. "Sorry, no cheese, but I am glad you like it."

They remained quiet as they finished eating. Ashlyn would get lost in her thoughts and stare off into the fire every once in a while before getting back to her bowl. A few men passed by and called out greetings to Alistair, who nodded his head but continued to eat his stew as if he hadn't eaten in days. She overheard the men say they were on their way to go have a drink with the King. _The King drinks with his soldiers? At least he is a man of his people. _After she was done, he helped her up and said, "All right, time to find a tent and some basic supplies for you. Let's go visit the supply wagon."

At the wagon, they were able to find a tent, some bedding, and a few extra items Ashlyn thought might come in handy later.

"There is some room between mine and Jayden's tents, if you would like to settle there."

"Sure, but who is Jayden?" Ashlyn inquired.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you hadn't met the other new recruits yet. Jayden, Daveth, and Ser Jory will all be going through the Joining with you," Alistair replied.

"This is it," Alistair said when they reached the camp site. As they worked together to get her tent set up, an auburn haired human male came out the tent on her left and offered to help. "Sure Jayden," Alistair said smiling. "But let me introduce you first. This is our new neighbor and sister, Ashlyn Mahariel of the Dalish Elves."

"Good to meet you. I am Jayden Amell of the Circle of Magi."

"Aneth ara Jayden, and thank you for helping us."

Jayden was nearly as tall as Alistair, but where Alistair had a muscular warrior's build, Jayden had more of lean frame. Ashlyn studied Jayden for a second._ Definitely a mage, and a strong one at that judging by his aura. From my understanding, mages are outcasts, too. Forced to spend most of their lives confined to the Circle Tower. Perhaps I will find a kindred spirit in this man._

Ashlyn let out a long yawn right when they had finished setting up her tent.

"Looks like we got it up just in time," Jayden told Alistair.

"Yeah, I guess you won't have to cast a sleeping spell on her tonight, Jayden," Alistair joked.

"Well, I think I am going to call it a night as well. See you in the morning," Jayden said as he returned to his tent.

"And I need to find Duncan," Alistair stated. "Do you need anything else before I take my leave?"

"No, but thank you again for helping me this evening. And for being so kind... I was not sure how well I would be accepted out in the human world," Ashlyn responded.

"Doesn't matter what your race is in this camp. Here, we are all one big happy family. Goodnight." Alistair smiled one last time, then turned to go search for Duncan.

Ashlyn's expression fell as she realized what this meant. _Alone at last. I haven't been alone since I woke up from the taint._ Ashlyn gathered up her pack and new belongings and took them inside her tent. She changed into a long men's shirt that she would use as a sleeping gown and placed herself under her new blanket. _I haven't fallen apart yet... I guess it is time, _Ashlyn thought as the first of her tears began to fall.

- - - - - With Alistair - - - - -

While searching for Duncan, Alistair thought to himself, a_ little shy, but Ashlyn is very nice. She may even make a good bantering partner when she warms up to me. But there were moments this evening when she seemed so sad, as if her mind was taking her to another place and time. I wonder what happened to her._ Alistair finally saw Duncan, who was returning from the direction of the mages' camp.

"Alistair, good. I am glad you waited up on me. I have much to discuss with you, but we must speak in private. Please follow me to my tent."

"Of course, Duncan," Alistair replied and walked with him back across camp. He realized Duncan had something serious to talk with him about and now was not the time for joking around.

Once inside the tent, Duncan said, "I need you to watch over Ashlyn for me while I am gone the next few days. She has been through quite the ordeal."

"But I thought you told me not to get too attached to the new recruits until after their initiation," Alistair responded.

"I don't think we will have to worry about Ashlyn not surviving the Joining. She has already been living with taint for the past several days."

"What? How is that even possible?" Alistair asked.

Duncan then explained about the Tevinter mirror, and how he had found Ashlyn outside the ancient ruins. He said he was even more surprised to see her there a few days later. "She has already battled several Genlocks, all while fighting the taint on her own. I knew she would make an excellent addition to the Grey Wardens and that the Joining ritual could lengthen her life, so I asked her to join us. Her clan's leader agreed to let her go and explained that she had been able to use some of her magic to help Ashlyn hold off the taint. That is why I had to speak to the mages tonight, to see if they could produce an elixir to keep her going until the Joining."

"I sensed a great sadness from her. I had no idea she had been through so much, though."

"Yes, she has lost much too. Her companion was never found. From my understanding, he was her best friend and future life mate. Anyway, a spritely older mage named Wynne agreed to make some potions for her to take every day until the Joining," Duncan said while handing over several vials of a dark brown liquid.

"You can count on me, Duncan," Alistair said as he began to head back to his tent. Before he got very far, he turned back to Duncan and asked, "Who are you hoping to recruit in Highever?"

"I am told Bryce Cousland's youngest shows promising talent. The real trick is going to be convincing the Teyrn to part with his only daughter."

- - - - - The Next Morning With Alistair - - - - -

Alistair woke up at dawn, thinking about everything he had learned the night before. After bidding Duncan goodnight and a safe trip, he had returned to his tent. He heard soft sobs coming from Ashlyn's direction and his heart broke. He knew then that he was going to watch over her and protect her as best as he could. _So this is what it feels like to have a sister? First thing in the morning, I will start acting like the caring older brother and make sure she gets her medicine. _

Alistair dressed for the day before stepping out into the morning sunlight. To his surprise, Ashlyn was already awake and sitting by the fire cooking what looked to be eggs and ham in a large pan. Jayden was sitting next to her, quietly talking about life in the Circle Tower.

"Good, you are up. I am making you and Jayden breakfast to thank you for all of your help yesterday, and I think it is just about done," Ashlyn said with a smile. Although, now he realized her smile did not reach her eyes.

"You didn't have to do that.. but whatever you're cooking smells fantastic!" Alistair said eagerly. "You know, I could get used to this. I believe the food around here is going to drastically improve with you around."

Alistair sat down to eat beside the new recruits. Jayden continued on with his story about how his friend Jowan had betrayed him with blood magic. "I was lucky Duncan was there or First Enchanter Irving may not have been able to keep the templars from arresting me, even though I was working under Irving's orders. Some templars can be such tight-asses… like our boy Alistair here," Jayden jokingly said while nudging Alistair with his elbow.

Alistair laughed and said, "Hey, hey! Remember I never actually became a full templar. I am only trained as one, so you better watch it the next time you dare compare me to those self-important, Chantry-loving, tight-asses."

This outburst caused them all to start laughing. It was apparent that there was no love lost between Alistair and the Chantry's templars. As they quieted down, Alistair decided it was time to speak with Ashlyn about the task Duncan had charged him with. "Ashlyn, do you have a moment? Duncan left some instructions for you while he was away."

"Sure. Do you want to go for a walk?" Ashlyn replied. "We can talk along the way."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We'll see you later, Jayden," Alistair said as he and Ashlyn took off through the camp.

Alistair decided not to delve right into conversation immediately. Instead, they walked in silence for a while until they reached a cliff that offered a spectacular view of the Korcari Wilds. _Now is the best chance I have had to bring this up. Here it goes…_

"Duncan told me last night about what happened to you before you left your Dalish clan. I am so sorry, for everything you have been through. I cannot imagine the pain you have suffered. If you ever need to talk to someone, I will be here for you."

"Thank you Alistair," Ashlyn said. "You have no idea how much it means to hear someone say that."

Alistair leaned in and gave her a friendly hug. When he pulled back, he continued, "Duncan asked me to give you these," Alistair reached into a hidden pocket behind his armor and handed the vials of magic elixir to Ashlyn. "He said to take one potion a day, and that it will keep you safe until the Joining ritual is performed… And no, before you ask, I am not allowed to talk to you about the Joining. Duncan will tell you more when the time is right."

Ashlyn nodded and gratefully accepted the potions. She unscrewed the cap off of one, said "Cheers," and downed the contents of the vial with a grimace. It took a moment, but then she sighed and said, "It is getting easier already to fight the taint. I must thank Duncan when he returns. Did he happen to mention how long his journey would be?"

"Yeah, he was figuring about four days. I have to admit I am surprised as to who he is going to try to recruit," Alistair snorted.

"Who is he trying to recruit?" Ashlyn asked.

"Teryn Cousland's daughter. Now you, I can understand why Duncan brought you back. The Dalish are known for being fierce warriors, but a female noble? I am not sure the Grey Warden life is fit for a lady who is used to a life of luxury, if you can understand what I mean."

"Maybe this woman will surprise you, change your opinion of female nobles. From what little I know of Duncan, he wouldn't pick someone he did not believe was worthy of becoming a Grey Warden," Ashlyn reasoned.

"You make a good point. If nothing else, you will potentially have another female to carry on with whenever you get mad at the male sex, as I am told women are apt to do," Alistair said with a hint of humor.

Ashlyn returned to looking out over the Korcari Wilds. _She has that sad, distant look in her eyes again_, Alistair thought.

Suddenly she turned to him and asked, "Since I am feeling better, I would like to get some exercise. Is there a shooting range in camp somewhere? I would like to practice with my bow, and I could use the distraction from my thoughts."

Alistair nodded and said, "Sounds like an excellent idea. I will take you there right away."

- - - - - Passage of Time, With Ashlyn - - - - -

Alistair had left some time ago, after being amazed by watching Ashlyn shoot. He had said something about how it was true, the legends of the Dalish skill in archery. _I am not nearly as good as Tamlen is… was… gods, this is so hard, thinking of him as being gone._ She wiped a stray tear away, and sent two arrows flying at a target several yards away.

"Most impressive," a voice from behind her said after both arrows hit where she had intended. Ashlyn turned to see that Jayden had been watching her practice. "But can you hit a moving target?," he asked as he brought his staff from behind his back and cast a telekinesis spell out at the scarecrow she had been shooting at, causing it to hover off the ground and sway slowly back and forth. "Hope you don't mind, but this way we both get some practice in. And I don't have to go ask the other circle mages to spar with me," Jayden shuddered. "Some of them are way too high-strung for me."

"I think it's a great idea!" Ashlyn exclaimed, and readied her bow to shoot at Jayden's moving target.

Alistair had joined in with Ashlyn and Jayden's training later that afternoon. They had spent most of the day laughing, with a little actual practicing mixed in. Alistair worked with Ashlyn on her hand to hand, and Jayden even sportingly allowed Alistair to practice some of his templar skills on him. By the end of the afternoon, the trio had agreed to practice together on a daily basis.

Ashlyn met Daveth when they returned to camp that evening. _A little paranoid, but he seems friendly enough. Maybe a little too friendly…_ Ashlyn thought as she and Alistair watched Daveth once again try to work his womanizing skills on a female soldier from the King's army.

Out of nowhere, they saw the woman slap Daveth and stomp off back to her camp. After a long period of laughing, Alistair wiped tears out of his eyes and said, "You know, we might all be able to go home if Daveth would just come on to every darkspawn that came this way. With the way his charms seem to chase women away, surely the darkspawn would rush back to the deep roads."

Daveth's carefree attitude made him practically the exact opposite of Ser Jory, who more or less seemed to be here only for the glory and fame that came with being a Grey Warden. Ashlyn did not think very highly of Ser Jory and decided to avoid him whenever possible.

After dinner, Jayden walked with Ashlyn back to their tents. "So, are you finding Ostagar as overwhelming as I am?" he asked.

"Oh yes, my clan usually avoided human settlements. I never imagined what it would be like to be surrounded by so many people. It has been a very educational experience."

Jayden chuckled and said, "You can say that again. I hadn't been out of the Circle Tower since I was a small boy. There are so many sights to see and people to talk to. I have always wanted to see the world. And now thanks to Duncan, I can make a difference in it as well."

"Duncan is a good person. I was lucky he found me when he did. I wouldn't be alive if he hadn't," Ashlyn said.

"Now that sounds like an interesting story." At Ashlyn's hesitation, Jayden continued, "You will have to tell me about it someday."

Ashlyn nodded and answered, "Someday."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I am beat. Time to get some sleep," Jayden declared as he headed toward his tent.

"Goodnight," Ashlyn replied. _Duncan isn't the only human who has earned my respect_, Ashlyn thought as she prepared for bed. _Alistair and Jayden already feel like brothers. At least I am not nearly as lonely as I thought I would be._

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - - -

The days had passed like an eerie calm before the storm. Everyone seemed to be more on edge every day as the impending battle drew closer. The day of Duncan's promised return finally arrived. Ashlyn, Alistair, and Jayden had been training early that morning when Alistair was called away do some task for the Revered Mother.

"We'll meet you back at camp," Ashlyn called after Alistair.

Jayden and Ashlyn had just returned to the Grey Warden base when they saw that Duncan had arrived and was talking with Daveth and Ser Jory. Sitting beside Duncan was a brown mabari hound.

"Welcome back," Jayden said to Duncan as he and Ashlyn approached.

"Yes, I am glad we made it back before the battle started," Duncan replied.

"We?" Ashlyn asked. "I am going to assume you recruited a person, and not a dog."

"Oh yes. Duke here is the loyal mabari hound of our new recruit. Her name is Arianna Cousland. She comes to us under difficult circumstances, though. Her father, Teyrn Cousland, was planning on marching here today with his army, but he was betrayed by Arl Howe of Amaranthine. Howe's men attacked the castle two nights ago. The Teyrn was fatally wounded, and his wife would not leave his side when Arianna and I were forced to make our escape," Duncan explained.

"This is awful news!" Ser Jory exclaimed. "I hail from Highever. Bryce Cousland was an honorable man."

"Yes, this is quite a tragedy," Duncan stated.

Piqued at the chance to meet another female, Daveth asked, "But where is this woman?"

"When we first arrived, I heard that the Revered Mother had Alistair off upsetting the mages. I asked Arianna to look for him in the mages' camp while I started to get things prepared for the Joining ritual. You will all be sent on a mission this afternoon before the initiation tonight. I will speak more of this when Arianna and Alistair return."

- - - - - With Alistair - - - - -

"I simply come to deliver a message, ser mage. The Revered Mother desires your presence," Alistair said with as much patience as he could muster.

"What the Reverence 'desires' is of no concern to me. I am busy helping the Grey Wardens, by the King's orders, I might add!" the mage exclaimed.

"Should I have asked her to write a note?" Alistair asked exasperated.

"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!"

"Yes, I was harassing you by delivering a message," Alistair told the unreasonable mage. "Here I thought we were getting along so well! I was even going to name one of my children after you… the grumpy one."

"Enough! I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of my way fool," the upset mage said while brushing past what could have possibly been the most beautiful woman Alistair had ever seen. She had sky blue eyes with braided blond hair that had been pinned back. He realized that she had been quietly observing his fight with the circle mage.

As she approached, Alistair couldn't help but say, "You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."

"I know exactly what you mean," she said with a timid smile.

"Wait, you're not a mage are you?"

"No, I am definitely not a mage. Are you Alistair, by any chance?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yep, that's me." It was then that Alistair noticed the shield she carried had the crest of Highever. "Wait, are you a Grey Warden recruit?" Alistair inquired. _Could this really be the noble woman Duncan went to enlist?_

_"_Yes, my name is Arianna Cousland. Duncan asked me to come find you and meet him back at the Grey Warden camp."

"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Alistair said suddenly not wanting to be alone with this woman any longer than he needed to be. _Must not get attached. Must not get attached. At least not yet, but if she lives through the Joining..._

Arianna followed Alistair back to the campsite. She was very friendly and their conversation came easily, but he was having a hard time focusing on anything other than her lovely face. He was so worried that he was going to embarrass himself before they reached camp that he was quite relieved when Duncan and the other new recruits came into view.

"Excellent, we are all here now," Duncan addressed the group. "I assume everyone is ready, unless of course you are not quite finished riling up mages, Alistair."

"What can I say? The Revered Mother ambushed me. With the way she wields guilt, the King should throw her into the army. She could be a powerful weapon," Alistair replied.

"She forced you to sass the mage, did she? We cannot afford to make enemies out of those who would be our allies. We must be united if we are to defeat the darkspawn."

"Of course, Duncan. I apologize," Alistair said sincerely.

"Now then, I am sending all of you into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain five vials of darkspawn blood, one vial for each of you new recruits."

"Why do we need those?" Ser Jory asked with disgust.

"They are a necessary part of the Joining ritual. I will explain more when you return," Duncan answered.

"What is the second task?" Arianna asked in a determined voice.

"The Grey Wardens once had an outpost in the Korcari Wilds long ago. It was abandoned when we could no longer afford to maintain such remote locations. It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls were left behind at that outpost. They were magically sealed for protection. These scrolls are treaties promising support. Treaties that may prove useful in the days to come. Your second task is to retrieve these scrolls if you can."

"Understood," Jayden said. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you all have gathered weapons and necessary supplies," Duncan answered. "Duke may stay with me, Arianna, if you would like."

Arianna gave her consent, and then the group broke apart to get prepared for their journey into the Korcari Wilds. "Alistair, may I have a word before you leave," Duncan requested.

"Certainly," Alistair said as he returned to Duncan's side.

"I already told the new recruits before you arrived, but I also want you to be aware of the events that led to my arrival." Duncan quickly gave Alistair the same story he had told the others. "Like Ashlyn, she is dealing with recent loss of loved ones, but I do not think it will affect her ability to fight whatever you will face in the Wilds. Even so, watch over your charges Alistair. Return quickly and safely."

"We will Duncan," Alistair said with a nod.

"Very well. Then may the Maker watch over your path. I will see you when you return."


	3. Chapter 3 Korcari Wilds & The Joining

A/N: Sorry for the delay, I have been distracted by the Dragon Age Awakening expansion game and Final Fantasy XIII. It will probably be another couple weeks before chapter 4 is up, but hopefully I will then be back on track for a chapter a week. Comments and suggestions are very welcome. I would love to hear what you have to say!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

* * *

Chapter 3 – Korcari Wilds & The Joining

"You should know my lady… if looks could kill, these darkspawn don't stand a chance," Daveth said to Arianna just as they entered the Korcari Wilds.

Daveth had nearly jumped on Arianna the second they had left Ostagar. Consequently, Ashlyn was enjoying quite the show. Not only was Daveth's flirting ridiculous, but the looks Alistair was shooting him made Ashlyn think that Daveth was going to be eating dirt soon if he didn't stop. She hadn't missed the fact that Alistair had been unable to take his eyes off Arianna back in camp. _My new sister Arianna has an admirer other than Daveth_, Ashlyn thought with a smile.

"As any of us could die in the coming battle, we should try to spend our last evening in the most pleasurable manner imaginable, don't you think? How would you like to join me in my tent tonight?" Daveth persisted.

_Oh no, here it comes! Perhaps I should try to prevent Alistair from causing the Grey Wardens to lose a new recruit before the battle even begins._ Ashlyn's move to restrain him went unneeded. Before she had even gotten a hand on Alistair, Arianna had punched Daveth and knocked him to the ground.

"I will be quite all right by myself, thank you," Arianna said before continuing on the path.

"Now, that was the most entertainment I have had in days," Jayden laughed while jogging to catch up to Arianna. "That's some swing you got there."

"I'll take that as a no," Daveth said as Ser Jory helped him up.

Ashlyn couldn't stop herself from giggling when she glanced at Alistair. He was standing still in shock with his mouth hung open in an "O" shape while watching Arianna saunter away. She elbowed him in the ribs and whispered, "So much for her being a delicate noble lady."

Alistair closed his mouth and put an arm around Ashlyn's shoulders as they resumed walking. "You know, I have never been so happy to be proven wrong."

_The Korcari Wilds are aptly named,_ Ashlyn thought as they traveled further into the wilderness. Random trees scattered the immense wasteland, and the group had to wade through dense areas of tall grasses and brush at times. Most unsettling, Ashlyn had a general feeling of unease as if she was always being watched. _This place gives me the creeps. It is almost as if the taint has spread into the very land itself._

Ashlyn's thoughts were interrupted when the group came upon a wounded soldier trying to crawl back toward Ostagar.

"What happened?" Arianna asked as she pulled an injury kit from her pack.

She was working on wrapping his wounds when the man breathily replied, "My scouting party… it was attacked… darkspawn…"

"I know a basic healing spell. Hopefully it will be enough to get you back to Ostagar," Jayden said before working his magic.

With the pain lessened, the soldier gave a relieved sigh and said, "Thank you. I think I can stand now." With that, he managed to wobbly get up with the assistance of Alistair. "I have to get back to report in to my commander," the man said as he limped off back towards the fortress.

"Well, he wasn't as dead as he looked," Alistair joked.

"I don't like this," said Ser Jory. "That man must be the only survivor of his patrol. How do we know we aren't walking into the middle of the horde?"

"You will have to face darkspawn sooner or later," Ashlyn said finally too annoyed with the human's attitude to stay quiet. "You are a warrior, act like one."

"Why you little---" Ser Jory started when Alistair cut in.

"Calm down Ser Jory," Alistair said. "Once you fully become a Grey Warden, you will be able to sense the presence of darkspawn. Now, I can tell you there are some in our general area, but I will be able to give you notice before we run into them."

"You see Ser Jory, we might die, but we'll be warned about it first," Jayden said trying to lighten the situation.

Ever the paranoid one, Daveth said, "Let's get going. I don't want to be out here after dark."

"He actually makes a good point," Ashlyn spoke up. "There are other dangerous creatures out here besides darkspawn."

Arianna pointed off in the distance. "Well, there looks to be some stone structures on those hills over there. If I were to build an outpost, I would want it to be on high ground. Let's go check it out."

They had just reached the base of the hills, when Alistair stilled and shouted, "Darkspawn, look alive!"

"I don't know… maybe if we play dead, they will just leave us alone," Jayden joked as he brought his staff from behind his back.

"Archers, give us some cover," Arianna said while pulling out an engraved sword and wicked-looking dagger. "Alistair, Ser Jory, follow me."

As the warriors took off, Ashlyn readied her bow and took aim at the closest darkspawn which was much larger than the ones she had faced before. _Duncan said I would encounter fouler creatures than Genlocks. That must be a Hurlock. _Ashlyn exhaled and released her arrow. Her aim was true, and the Hurlock was knocked off his feet. But several other darkspawn quickly filled its place. Daveth and Jayden took up positions near her to begin their assaults. As the three of them fired off distance attacks, the warriors came in from the side, disrupting the darkspawn charge.

Just when Ashlyn thought they were going to make it through their first battle together without a hitch, she sensed enemies close by. _But there are no visible darkspawn near me. Wait, there is some brush over there._ Some rogue Genlocks had stealthily snuck up on her while she had been picking off darkspawn that were fighting the warriors. She called out to Daveth and Jayden, "Incoming!" She switched to her daggers and began applying what Alistair had taught her the previous few days.

"_You are small and agile, exactly what a big warrior hates on a battlefield. You have to sidestep the big blows and do as many backstabs as possible," _he had told her. Ashlyn nimbly outmaneuvered a Genlock and swung her right blade into the back of its neck while using her left blade to block an incoming attack. She had been the closest to the brush, and therefore was quickly surrounded by Genlocks. She was doing her best, but she knew if she didn't get some help soon, she would be overtaken.

Suddenly, a blur of grey went past in her peripheral vision. _What was that?_ Ashlyn continued to fight and realized there were less Genlocks fighting her than there were a moment ago. As she kicked a Genlock over, she saw the reason for the reduced number of enemies. Not even five feet away, her beautiful grey forest wolf was viciously attacking a darkspawn that the wolf had wrangled to the ground. Laying a couple paces away was another Genlock which had died from having its throat ripped out. Ashlyn kept spinning and slashing with her daggers until she faced the last of the rogue darkspawn. Just as she was about to attack, a bolt of lightning struck it dead.

"Thanks," she called to Jayden.

"Anytime," he replied.

Ashlyn looked up the hill just in time to see Alistair behead the one remaining Hurlock. At that point, everyone started to walk towards each other to reconvene… except Ashlyn. She was making her way to the wolf that she had saved the day she came to Ostagar. "Thank you, my friend. It would appear you have been following me," Ashlyn said as she squatted down and began to pet the wolf on the head.

"That is some companion you have there," Arianna said. "She kind of reminds me of Duke, my mabari hound, how she just jumped in to save you. An animal like that can be just as effective as any arrow or sword."

"Arrow," Ashlyn repeated while staring at the wolf. "Well, if you are going to be my protector as it would seem you have decided to be, you are going to need a name. How about Arrow?" she asked her four legged ally.

The wolf sat back on her haunches and let out a loud, happy howl.

"I take that to mean she has accepted," Jayden inferred. "I didn't know you were a ranger."

"Yes, I had lived my entire life in the Brecilian Forest until just recently. I was bound to pick up a few skills being surrounded by nature."

"Well, then we all know who to stand behind the first time a large bear crosses our path," Alistair chimed in causing Ashlyn to shake her head at his antics.

"I am just grateful Arrow got here when she did. I was able to sense the rogue Genlocks' presence, but I didn't locate them until I was nearly surrounded," Ashlyn said.

"Yeah, they did just sort of pop up out of nowhere," Daveth agreed.

"We needed to run into them sometime. Let's get these vials filled up," Arianna said focusing everyone again on the task at hand.

After they had collected enough darkspawn blood, they began to make their accent up the hill toward the stone structures. Arrow stayed close to Ashlyn, but Alistair risked angering the wolf to approach the elf and ask, "Are you all right? You seem a little shaken after that last attack."

"I am okay, but it is getting harder and harder to fight the taint. The potion has helped, but it is like the taint is becoming immune to it," Ashlyn responded.

"It is a good thing the Joining is tonight, then. Hang in there a bit longer. These stone ruins look very much like an old outpost. We'll have the treaties and be on our way back to camp in no time," Alistair said with a reassuring grin.

When they arrived at a circular structure that resembled a destroyed tower, Arianna spotted an old broken chest and made her way over to it. "This may have one time held the scrolls, but it is empty now," she said to the group. Alistair and the rest of the recruits went over to get a better look at the old cache.

"Well, well. What have we here?" an unknown voice broke the silence. Everyone turned to see a scantily clad women slowly advancing on them. "I have watched your progress for some time. Where do they go, I wondered. Why are they here?" The woman finally came to a stop after she had half-circled them like a vulture.

"Don't answer her," Alistair said to Arianna. "She looks chasind, and that means there may be others nearby."

"I see, you fear barbarians will come swooping down on you," the woman said.

"Yes. Swooping is bad," Alistair muttered.

"She's a Witch of the Wilds, she is!" Daveth shrieked. "We need to leave, before she turns us all into toads!"

"Witch of the Wilds, what idle fancies you men possess. You there," she directed to Arianna. "Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

"I am Arianna, a Grey Warden recruit. I am sorry for my companions' mistrusting behavior. Perhaps you can help us find what we came to recover."

"Now there is a proper greeting. I am so glad one of you has some manners. You may call me Morrigan. I believe I may be able to guess what it is you have been seeking. Perhaps it was something in that chest, something that is there no longer?"

"There no longer?" Alistair was outraged. "You stole them, didn't you? You're… some kind of sneaky... witch-thief! Those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them."

"How very eloquent you are. But it 'twas not I who took them," Morrigan responded.

"Do you know who did?" Ashlyn inquired hoping the women had some useful information and was not just toying with them.

"An elf fighting with Grey Wardens, how unusual," Morrigan said before returning to Ashlyn's inquiry. "I actually do know the answer to your question for 'twas my Mother."

"Can you take us to her?" Arianna asked.

"Such a sensible request. I like you," Morrigan stated.

"I would be careful if I were you," Alistair said to Arianna. "First, it's 'I like you' and then 'Zap!' Frog time."

"You know Alistair, not all mages are as eager as I am to turn you into a frog," Jayden said with a laugh.

Morrigan's eyes lit up at Jayden's words. "Interesting," she said. "You may follow me, if you desire. I will take you to see my Mother."

"It seems we have little choice," Arianna said, indicating for everyone to go along with their new acquaintance. As they started to move off, Arianna pulled Ashlyn to the back of the group.

"What do you sense from her?" Arianna whispered.

Ashlyn watched Morrigan for a moment before quietly answering. "I do not believe she is hostile. I think we are safe to travel with her."

"Thank you. I know I can trust your opinion. Duncan told me of the Dalish survival skills and how you can read the intentions of others. He also told me about what happened to you before you came to Ostagar… I am sorry."

"Yes. He told us about your family, too. I know this can't be easy for you right now, but you are doing an admirable job of leading us."

Arianna gave Ashlyn a confiding look. "To be honest, I decided to throw myself into becoming a Grey Warden. It is helping to keep my mind of recent events, at least most of the time."

"I know exactly what you mean," Ashlyn replied.

"If things get rough and you need to talk to someone, I will listen," Arianna said.

"Thank you. I will be here for you as well, if you should need an open ear."

Arianna nodded, and they continued on silently.

Ashlyn was quite happy to have made another friend. The two already shared a bond that could only be formed between people who have survived horrible situations. Ashlyn returned her attention to their peculiar guide. It was obvious how comfortable Morrigan was here in the Wilds. _She moves through these lands the way I moved in the Brecilian Forest, _Ashlyn thought as they made their way back to Morrigan's hut where her mother awaited.

It wasn't long before they had arrived at their destination. The hut was a quaint, little hobble that couldn't have been more than a couple of rooms. Ashlyn could tell that whoever they were about to meet was formidable, more powerful than any being she had met before. Even Arrow seemed to know there was danger up ahead and chose to remain on the perimeter of the property instead of following Ashlyn and the rest of her companions.

"Greetings, Mother. I bring you six Grey Wardens who---"

"I see them, girl. Much as I expected," said an old woman with grey hair and a raspy voice. In her arms, she was holding a small wooden box.

"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair asked sarcastically.

"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide… either way, one's a fool. But I am sure you didn't come all this way to listen to an old woman ramble."

"No, we did not. We came to see if you know what happened to the Grey Warden treaties that were left at the old abandoned outpost," Arianna said diplomatically.

"Yes, indeed I do. They have been in my possession for many years now. And before you start barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these."

"You... oh. You protected them?" Alistair said sounding confused.

"That was very generous of you," Jayden slid into the conversation. "But I have to ask, what made you do such a thing?"

"What does it matter my reason for watching over these scrolls? You need them and now you shall have them. Here, take these treaties to your leaders and be sure to tell them this Blight threat is greater than they realize," Morrigan's Mother said as she handed the box over to Arianna.

"Thank you," Arianna said as she took possession of the documents.

"What do you mean the threat is greater than they realize?" Ashlyn spoke up.

"Either the threat is more, or they realize less. Now, you have what you came for," the old woman said, insinuating that it was time for them to leave.

Morrigan walked over to Jayden and said, "I would be happy to escort you… and your companions out of the Wilds."

Jayden charmingly replied, "We would appreciate that, Morrigan." Morrigan and Jayden took off back towards the Wilds. Arianna nodded to old woman before turning and pulling Alistair with her back up the path before he could say anything that might upset the powerful malificar. The rest of the group followed suit.

"I thought we were going to be cooked up in some pot for sure," Daveth said calming down. He had been antsy the entire visit with Morrigan's Mother.

"Yes, well I just want to get back to the fortress and out of this cursed wilderness," Ser Jory said.

With Arrow by her side, Ashlyn walked at the back of the group and was silent as they returned to Ostagar. She occupied herself by observing and listening in on her companions. Jayden and Morrigan passed the time by talking about the Circle of Magi and what it was like for Morrigan growing up with her mother in the Korcari Wilds. _I think Jayden is only interested in learning about life as an apostate, not in Morrigan herself. But I don't think the same could be said for Morrigan,_ Ashlyn thought.

Ashlyn then focused on Alistair and Arianna. She overheard part of their conversation.

"I was originally a templar before being conscripted by Duncan," Alistair said.

"That is surprising," Arianna responded. "You don't seem the Chantry-type."

This led to Alistair telling funny stories from his Chantry days that definitely proved the religious life was not for him. Arianna seemed to enjoy his quick wit and laughed often at his silly jokes and comments. _I already know Alistair likes Arianna, but maybe she is taken with him, too. Wouldn't that be something? Arianna certainly could use some happiness, and I think Alistair would be good for her. _Ashlyn's thoughts were then interrupted by Morrigan.

"This is as far as I take you," Morrigan said when they reached the edge of the Korcari Wilds. "Perhaps we shall meet again," Morrigan said with a longing look in Jayden's direction before disappearing back into the wilderness.

"Creepy, that one," Alistair said.

"I don't know," Jayden stated. "She has had a life of freedom, but I sense that she is lonely."

"Something tells me that she prefers to be alone," Ashlyn spoke up. "Speaking from experience, I don't think she trusts easily."

"She probably had to learn to be that way to survive," Arianna slipped into the conversation. "It wouldn't surprise me if she and her mother have had to run from the Chantry all their lives."

Alistair nodded his head in agreement. "Undoubtedly."

"At the very least, she was nice to look at," Daveth said, causing several members of the group to groan or roll their eyes. "What? I'm just saying."

- - - - - With Arianna - - - - -

Arianna was quite relieved when she saw Duncan waiting for them at the gates of Ostagar. She wasn't sure she would be able to prevent herself much longer from hitting Daveth again, especially if he didn't stop talking about Morrigan. Duke barked excitedly and came running happily to meet her... until he noticed Arrow.

"Don't even think about it," she directed to Duke. "The wolf is a friend. You be on your best behavior."

The mabari cocked his head at her as if he understood what she had said before falling in step with the recruits as they approached Duncan.

"I am glad to see you have all returned safely," Duncan greeted. "Were you successful?"

"Yes, although retrieving the treaties took an extra unexpected step," Arianna replied. She then further explained how they had met Morrigan and traveled with her to meet her mother and retrieve the documents.

"Then we are indeed fortunate these scrolls were not lost to us," Duncan stated. "I have had the mages preparing while you were away. If you are ready, we can begin the Joining immediately.

"What exactly is this Joining?" Ser Jory asked. "You haven't exactly told us anything about it."

"It is not quite time to fully explain it, but I will tell you this. We Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay your price now, rather than later," Duncan said somberly.

"We've made it this far. It would be a waste not to see this through," Jayden said.

Arianna agreed and said, "Let's do this."

"Very well. Alistair, please take them to the old temple. I will meet you there after the final preparations are completed."

"Of course. Everyone, this way," Alistair said taking off east towards the mages' camp.

_Alistair seems as nervous as the rest of us_, Arianna thought as she and the other new recruits followed him across the fortress._ Why should he be worried? He is already an official Warden. And why does he keep sending concerned glances in my direction?_

When they arrived at the old temple, night had fallen and Ser Jory was complaining again. This time it was about all the secrecy of the Joining. "The more I hear about it, the less I like it. Why all these damned tests? Haven't I already earned my place?"

Daveth surprised everyone when he reasonably asked Ser Jory, "Would you have come if they had warned you? Maybe the Grey Wardens do what they must to maintain and build their numbers."

"Even if they sacrifice our lives to do it?" Ser Jory responded indignantly.

"Maybe you'll die. Maybe we'll all die. If nobody stops the darkspawn, we'll die for sure," Daveth said.

It was at that moment that Duncan made his appearance in the temple. In his hands, he carried a jeweled goblet. The group converged into a semicircle around him.

With everyone's attention on him, Duncan began, "The Grey Wardens were founded at the time of the very first Blight when humanity stood at the brink of annihilation. It was then that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."

"We're going to drink the blood of… those creatures," Ser Jory said appalled.

Duncan slightly raised the goblet and said, "This is the source of our power and our victory. Not all who drink the blood survive… and those who do are forever changed."

"Those who survive?" Arianna asked. She glanced around at the surprised and apprehensive faces of the other new recruits.

It was Alistair who chose to answer her question. He looked Arianna straight in the eyes and said, "There is a chance not everyone here will live through the night. Those who survive become immune. We can then sense the taint and use it to destroy the darkspawn."

_Well, now I know why he was sending me all of those worried looks_, Arianna realized. _It figures. I finally meet a man who holds my attention the way my brother said I would, and there is a chance I will die before I even get to experience my first romance._

Alistair then broke their eye contact and looked at Duncan. "It is time."

Duncan nodded and spoke aloud, "We come to the Joining at last. We speak only a few words prior. Alistair, if you would?"

Alistair nodded and bowed his head. "Join us brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you."

"Daveth, step forward," Duncan commanded.

Daveth boldly accepted the goblet and took a hesitant drink. Right after he returned the cup to Duncan was when the taint attacked him from within. Daveth stumbled and brought his hand to his throat like he was choking. The other new recruits were horrified to see him fall to his knees, sputtering and gasping for breath. With one last heave, his eyes rolled back, and he breathed no more.

"I am sorry, Daveth," Duncan said turning the goblet toward Ser Jory.

"No! I refuse. I have a wife and a child on the way. You cannot force me to do this," Ser Jory said while drawing his sword.

Duncan had no choice but to remove his own dagger in response. Duncan was remorseful as he said, "Maker forgive me, but there is no backing out now." He skillfully blocked the recruit's attack and drove his dagger through Ser Jory's gut. Duncan removed his blade as the lifeless body fell to ground.

_He just stabbed… Oh my. No wonder this ritual has remained a secret. But I must survive this, or Howe will get away with murdering my family_, Arianna thought resolutely. She looked over at Jayden and Ashlyn, who both seemed to be in as much shock as she was.

Arianna watched as Ashlyn bravely stepped forward and said, "I want to go next. I am ready to face my destiny."

Duncan kept hold of the goblet this time as Ashlyn drank from it. Again, the taint hit swiftly, but the elf's reaction was different. She brought her hands up to her head as if she were having a horrible headache. She suddenly stilled and fainted. Duncan quickly reached out with his free arm to catch her before she fell to the ground.

Jayden's turn was next. The same process was repeated with him drinking and reacting as the taint tried to take him over. Jayden sank to his hands and knees before he passed out beside Ashlyn.

"You must promise me two things before I do this," Arianna demanded of Duncan when he at last turned his sight upon her. "If I should not survive, you must try to find my brother, Fergus, and let him know what became of our family. And most important… Howe cannot go unpunished for his hideous crimes. Promise me that my family will be avenged."

"If it is within my power, I shall see it done," Duncan replied before reaching the cup out to Arianna.

"Thank you," Arianna said in relief.

Before she moved to drink, Alistair caught her attention. "I will be most displeased with you if you don't survive," he said softly. "So, after you wake up and we defeat this Blight, I will personally help you seek retribution for your family."

"I am going to hold you to that," Arianna replied with a sweet smile.

She then turned her attention back to the goblet and took a gulp of the disgusting thick liquid. She instantly felt weak and shaky. Then the pain hit. _I never knew such agony could exist._

"I've got you," Alistair said gently as Arianna fell into his embrace. Alistair's mesmerizing light brown eyes were the last thing Arianna saw before she fell unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4 Battle at Ostagar

A/N: Yeah, so a chapter a week might have been too high a goal. Between working full time and a distracting beta/boyfriend, I can only promise to get the chapters out as soon as I can. Please bare with me. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

* * *

Chapter 4 – Battle at Ostagar

Ashlyn awoke to the sound of men talking quietly nearby. She was surprised to find herself back in her tent. _Last thing I remember was the Joining at the temple._ _How long have I been out? _She realized it must have been all night because the pale sunlight of dawn was filtering through the canvas opening. _I survived, so I guess I'm officially a Grey Warden now._

As Ashlyn sat up, she was taken aback again. Arianna was sleeping restlessly next to her. _She must be having the same dreams I had, dreams of fire and a creature that contained such terrible power and fierce yellow eyes – a dragon. _Ashlyn shuddered as she recollected her own dreams, more like nightmares of that dragon flying over an army darkspawn.

"I am glad you survived," she whispered to the unconscious Arianna. _I have always wanted a sister, and it will be nice not to see Alistair heartbroken. I have a good feeling about those two._

Ashlyn returned her attention to the voices that she had heard upon awakening. Now that the morning grogginess had cleared from her head, she recognized the soft murmurings of Duncan and Alistair.

"I know you care about them, Alistair, but I don't think you needed to sleep outside their tent," Duncan said.

"They were out cold Duncan. I just couldn't leave them unprotected in a camp full of men in that vulnerable state," Alistair said defending his actions. "Besides, it wasn't like I was alone. The wolf and the hound kept me company."

_Alistair guarded us all night?_ This thought prompted Ashlyn to go outside and talk with the men.

"Ah, good morning Ashlyn. I had just come by to see if any of our new members were awake yet," Duncan said when he noticed Ashlyn leave the tent. "How are you feeling?"

Arrow rushed over to her and affectionately rubbed against her leg. "I am good, better than I have been in days," Ashlyn replied as she gently scratched the wolf's head. "It doesn't seem like I have to constantly fight the taint. I almost feel like my old self again."

"That is good news," Alistair said cheerily as he stood up from his bedroll. "And if you are up, that means Arianna and Jayden can't be far behind."

"Jayden survived as well," Ashlyn said with relief. "How did we end up back at camp?"

"You almost didn't," Alistair laughed. "I didn't think Arrow and Duke were going to let us move you. They eventually allowed you to be carried by Duncan and me."

"Yes. It took quite a bit to convince them that we were not going to hurt either of you. Smart animals those two," Duncan said.

"Hope you didn't mind sharing a tent with Arianna," Alistair added. "We didn't set up a place for her to stay before the Joining, and I figured it would be easier to watch over both of you if you were in the same place."

"Thank you for that," Arianna said as she came out of the tent to stand beside Ashlyn. "It was most thoughtful," she directed to Alistair.

A slight blush appeared on his cheeks before he replied, "You're… uh… welcome."

"I am glad to see you are both recovering well," Duncan said to the women, drawing the attention away from Alistair. "You will need to be in fighting condition by tonight. Scouts from the King's Army say the darkspawn horde is approaching from the south. They estimate the enemy will be at our gates by sundown."

"Just what a man wants to hear right after he wakes up," Jayden said emerging from his tent.

"Yeah, sorry Jayden," Alistair said as they grasped forearms in greeting. "Sounds like the 'Survived the Joining' celebration is off for tonight. I guess we forgot to clear it with the darkspawn."

"I don't know… killing a multitude of those evil creatures sounds like a good time to me," Jayden replied with a grin.

Duncan smiled as he watched the friendly greeting between the men. "Now there is something you don't see everyday… a mage and a templar actually getting along." He turned to Arianna and asked, "Would you like to attend the King's strategy meeting with me this morning? I thought you might appreciate the opportunity to find out if King Cailan has heard anything about your brother."

"Yes, I definitely would," Arianna responded with hope in her eyes.

"Very well, I will come get you before the meeting. Now, all of you should get ready for this evening. Weapons and armor can be traded and purchased from the quartermaster who is across from the kennel. I have allocated some money to Alistair. See him if you wish to purchase anything. I will let you know your battle assignments after the meeting," Duncan said before he turned and headed back towards his tent, leaving the newest Grey Wardens to get ready for the very important day ahead.

After a big breakfast together, Arianna left with Duncan to go meet with the King. Ashlyn decided it was a good time to check her supplies. _I have plenty of health poultices, but it would be nice to have more arrows for the coming battle. I suppose I should go visit the quartermaster_. After a quick stop at Alistair's tent, she was on her way with a small pouch of coins.

The experience of meeting the quartermaster was how she assumed all her interactions with the humans were going to be before she came to Ostagar… not pleasant.

"You there, where have you been?" the middle-aged, bald-headed man demanded. "You were supposed to deliver the weapons to Ser Cauthrien in the King's Army camp and return here immediately. You ought to be flogged for your disobedience. And why are you dressed so preposterously?"

Ashlyn glanced down at her mother's Dalish armor before angrily inquiring, "Just who do you think I am?"

He studied her for a moment before saying confusedly, "Wait, you're not my servant elf."

"No, I am a Dalish elf and as of just recently, a Grey Warden."

"Oh, my pardon my lady," the man replied sheepishly. "I hadn't heard there were any elves in the Warden ranks. Is there anything I can do for you, then?"

Ashlyn brought out a dagger to twirl in her hand before answering, "Yes, actually. You can start by treating those in your service with better manners."

The quartermaster audibly gulped before nervously replying, "Of… of course, my lady.

"Good," she said sternly as she quickly sheathed the dagger. "I came to you today to restock my arrow supply."

"I should be able to help you with that," he said regaining his composure. "I've got some enchanted arrows. Why don't you take a look at them?" He led her to a large brown chest to show her his selection.

After purchasing two bundles of fire arrows and ice arrows, Ashlyn returned to the Grey Warden camp. _What an insolent shem. How any elf could serve under that despicable man is beyond me._

Her mood must have been transparent because Alistair called out upon her entering camp, "That has to be the angriest look I have seen from you. Who has got you so riled up, little sister?"

"Ugh, the quartermaster. He mistook me for one of his servants."

"Should I be sending the healers over to his wagon then?" he asked amused.

"No, I didn't touch him, but I did give him a 'friendly' suggestion that he treat his servants with more consideration," she said as she took a seat beside him.

Alistair laughed and said, "I would have liked to have seen that." He then turned serious and said, "You know, it is sad though, how elven servants are treated. In the Chantry, I was taught to treat all people equally and with respect."

"If only all men shared the same belief." she said wistfully. "Speaking of manners… that was a very kind thing you did last night, watching over us I mean. I think Arianna is most impressed with you."

"Really, you think so?" he asked eagerly causing Ashlyn to laugh.

"I knew you liked her!" she exclaimed.

"Am I that obvious?" he inquired.

"Oh yeah, buddy," Jayden said from behind where they were sitting. He must have come out of his tent and overheard their conversation. "You are an open book."

Ashlyn patted his arm gently and said, "He's right, but don't worry, it is completely adorable."

"Well, it isn't like I have had much practice," Alistair defended himself as Jayden sat on his other side.

"True, I doubt those Chantry folks allow much frolicking about in the monastery. Not that we were given free reign by any means at the Circle Tower, but I certainly didn't turn down any opportunity to 'get friendly' with a lady mage. We could always sneak into an empty classroom or join a partner in bed late at night in the apprentice quarters."

"Yes, I would say your education was more than just magically different from mine," Alistair said to the mage. He then cleared his throat and said, "Moving on, are you both ready for this evening? Duncan and Arianna should be back-"

"Right now," Ashlyn said pointing to the very people they were just discussing.

"Everything all set for this evening?" Alistair asked Duncan.

"Yes," Duncan replied. "The Wardens will meet the darkspawn horde head on, and the King's Army will flank them after being signaled that the enemy is in position. It is up to the four of you to provide this signal by lighting the beacon at the top of the Tower of Ishal."

"The four of us?" Alistair said surprised. "You mean we won't be fighting with the rest of the Grey Wardens?"

"I agree with you, Alistair," Arianna spoke up. "But good luck trying to convince King Cailan to change his mind. Teyrn Loghain tried and failed."

"Who is this Loghain?" Ashlyn asked.

"He is the Hero of Ferelden, the one who drove the Orlesians out more than thirty years ago," Duncan answered.

"He is also the leader of the King's Army, and he is not too pleased that the King has chosen to fight with the Grey Wardens," Arianna added.

"But do they really need all four of us to carry a single torch?" Alistair persisted, clearly not happy about being left out of the fight.

"King Cailan specifically asked for you and the new recruits to undertake this task," Duncan replied. "This is a most crucial assignment. The King's Army won't be able to see the battle from their location, and if they don't arrive at exactly the right time, the Wardens will be pinned down," he reasoned.

"Fine, fine," Alistair said. "But just so you know, if the King ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."

"Way to stand your ground, Alistair," Jayden joked.

"I don't know," Arianna said mischievously. "It could be a good distraction."

"Me shimmying down the darkspawn line? Sure, you could kill them while they roll around laughing," Alistair chuckled.

Duncan shook his head at his new Grey Wardens. "This group is going to be interesting," he muttered to himself before addressing the group again. "Let me explain the details to you before I go spread the information through the rest of the Grey Warden ranks."

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - With Alistair - - - - -

The directions were actually very simple. The newest Grey Wardens were to view the battle from the highest point in the Tower of Ishal, and when the darkspawn horde was in the correct position, they were to light the beacon to signal the King's Army for the surprise flank attack. _I would still rather be on the battlefield, fighting beside Duncan and my brothers, _Alistair thought solemnly as he strapped his shield on. _Time to round up the other junior members for our 'all important assignment'._

He was searching the camp for the rest of his group when his eyes landed on Arianna. She was standing at the edge of camp staring off into the sunset. Alistair wondered to himself, _have I ever seen a more lovely sight? _The way the fading days light reflected off her golden hair filled him with a warmth he had never known. _There is something very special about her. If I could gaze at her for the rest of my days, I would die a happy man. _

He spoke softly as he walked up behind her, "It is hard to believe something so beautiful can be seen before a night of carnage and death."

"Yes, it does seem unimaginable," she replied as she continued to watch the sunset, not realizing that he had been speaking about her. They remained quiet for a moment before Arianna spoke again. "I was thinking about my family. It has been so hard to accept that my mother and father are gone."

"Has the King heard any more about your brother?" he asked.

"No. There is no news yet," she answered sadly.

"Cheer up," Alistair said as he tilted her chin so he could look into her blue eyes. "He may still be out there. Besides, this battle should sufficiently weaken the darkspawn uprising. With any luck, we will be hunting down Howe in no time," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," she said as she returned his gaze. Without either of them realizing it, they slowly started to lean into one another. "Alistair…" she whispered.

"Hey, you guys ready to get going?" Jayden called interrupting their moment. Ashlyn, Arrow, and Duke were standing slightly behind him.

_Blasted mage, I can't wait for our next 'training' session. _Alistair stepped back as Arianna shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.

"Yes, we're ready. Let's go," Arianna said and started walking towards the rest of the group.

As they made their way to the bridge that connected the Ostagar main camp to the Tower of Ishal, Alistair couldn't stop from thinking about what had almost happened with Arianna_._ _Would we have kissed if Jayden hadn't spoke up? I surely wouldn't have minded it, but I don't think Duncan would approve. He has always said that the Grey Wardens have to stay focused on their mission. I don't know that I can or if I even want to with Arianna around. _

Night had fallen by the time they reached the bridge that crossed to the Tower of Ishal. To their surprise, Duncan was waiting for them. "There you are," he greeted. "I am glad I caught you before you left. Do you have any final questions about your mission?"

"Can we at least join the battle after the signal fire is lit?" Ashlyn asked.

"No. Stay and defend the Tower with the men Loghain has stationed there. We will send word if you are needed," Duncan replied. "Any other questions?"

He was answered by a couple of "No's" and some shaking heads.

"Very well. You are all Grey Wardens now. I expect you to be worthy of that title."

"Duncan," Alistair said before the commander could leave, "Maker watch over you."

"Maker watch over us all," Duncan replied before heading back to get ready to march with rest of the Grey Wardens and King Cailan.

As they headed toward the tower, Alistair observed the preparations for the coming battle. Several catapults had been set up along the bridge, and about thirty archers had taken up post in between them. Down below on the battlefield, the Wardens were lined up and awaiting the appearance of the darkspawn. The old fortress was illuminated by hundreds of burning torches and bonfires, which was a good thing because ominous storm clouds were moving in and would prevent the moon from providing any light for the coming confrontation.

Before they had reached the end of the bridge, the darkspawn announced their arrival with aggressive roars that reverberated off Ostagar's walls. Their battle cries were accented with lightning and thunder as rain came pouring down.

"The battle is about to begin. Let's get moving," Arianna instructed.

With that, the group took off at a quick clip for the Tower of Ishal. They were met at the Tower's gates by a guard from the King's Army.

"The Tower has been overrun!" the soldier said as he raced toward them.

"What? Where did they come from?" Alistair asked.

"From the tunnels below."

"But that doesn't make sense. Teyrn Loghain said at the strategy meeting that he had sent a patrol through, and the place was clear," Arianna stated.

"It doesn't matter," Ashlyn said. "We have to get up that Tower. The other Wardens are counting on us to signal the reinforcements."

"She's right," Jayden agreed.

"You guys are crazy if you think you can make it through all of those creatures!" the guard yelled while running back towards Ostagar's main camp.

Arianna took leadership of the group. "We are going to have to push it now to make it to the top in time. Alistair and I will lead. You two stay behind us and pick off as many as you can," she said to Ashlyn and Jayden.

"Sounds good," Jayden answered while Ashlyn and Alistair nodded in acceptance of the instructions.

_There is something sexy about a woman who takes charge,_ Alistair thought to himself as he and the newest Grey Wardens raced to the doors of the Tower. They hadn't even reached the steps leading up to the entrance when they ambushed by Hurlocks and Genlocks.

What Alistair soon learned is that they worked very efficiently together. He also came to appreciate that having a mage on his side can be rather handy. While he and Arianna charged the darkspawn, Jayden conjured lightening and ice spells. Alistair's favorite thing that happened was when Jayden froze a Genlock right in front of him. Alistair powerfully swung his sword at the darkspawn, and it shattered before his eyes. _Very nice._

Even Arrow and Duke were helping. The mabari rushed the darkspawn, bringing several to the ground before viciously ripping limbs off. The wolf stayed close to protect Ashlyn while she fired arrows with deadly and accurate precision.

They entered the Tower of Ishal leaving a string of bodies in their wake. Ashlyn hurried to stop Arianna from entering the main room before she tripped on a trap wire. "Watch out!" she warned and knelt down next to Arianna's feet. She disarmed the trap with deft hands.

"Thanks Ashlyn," she said before leading the group into the room.

The darkspawn had been expecting an easy assault with the trap not only injuring the Grey Wardens, but also alerting them of their presence. Thus, it was they who were taken by surprise when the Wardens bypassed their traps. The Genlock Emissary caused them the most trouble, but Jayden was able to block the fireball that was sent their way. Ashlyn's archery finished the Emissary off. They didn't stop for a rest but continued right up the stairs to the next floor.

At first, the second floor seemed abandoned, and Alistair thought that maybe they had gotten lucky that the darkspawn were only on the first floor. It just turned out that the darkspawn on this level were rogues and sneakier than the ones downstairs. Before the darkspawn attacked, Ashlyn had sensed their presence and called out, "We're surrounded by rogues. Watch your backs!"

"Circle up," Arianna commanded as darkspawn appeared out of nowhere. "Jayden, a shield would be nice right about now."

"You got it," the mage said before producing a magical barrier around them.

With their backs together, they battled against the onslaught of rogue daggers and swords. Their defensive position held, and they were soon able to go on the offensive. Even though Arianna had brought the Shield of Highever with her, she used her two blades to skillfully battle the darkspawn. Alistair had to force himself not to be distracted by watching her gracefully side-step incoming attacks and perform crippling strikes. _What a combination… beautiful and deadly._

It wasn't long before they were making their way to the third floor. Alistair could not help but voice his concern about the length of time it was taking to reach the top floor. "Maker's breath! What are all these darkspawn doing ahead of the rest of the horde? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here!" he exclaimed.

"Weren't you complaining about not getting to fight in the battle?" Arianna asked him as they stopped for a second to catch their breath.

"Hey, you're right," Alistair responded with a grin. "I guess there is a silver lining here if you think about it. At any rate, we need to get moving again. Teyrn Loghain's men will be waiting for the signal."

The Wardens stealthily snuck up to the next area and peered around the corner to see several Hurlocks, including an Alpha. Ashlyn's concentration though was on the mabari hounds locked in cages along the wall. She pointed to them and said, "If I can make it to the cages, I may be able to release those hounds."

"Sounds like a good idea," Arianna said. "We'll provide a distraction."

As Ashlyn raced to the cages, Arrow and Duke flanked her to give her the time to free the hounds. Arianna and Alistair drew the darkspawn attention as they rushed into the room. Jayden provided covering fire from the door. The diversion was successful, and Ashlyn pulled a lever that opened the cages. With the help of the liberated mabari hounds, the floor was cleared in less than five minutes.

"This is it. We made it!" Alistair said relieved when the final stairway came into sight.

They climbed up to the Tower of Ishal's final floor. When the door was pushed open, the sight that met their eyes was horrifying. A giant ogre stood in the middle of the room holding the body of a soldier that had been crushed to death. With massive strength, the ogre ripped the body apart at the waist. It suddenly looked at the Junior Wardens and let out an ear-shattering roar. The ogre's footsteps thundered as it made its way toward them.

"Team up and protect your partner," Arianna ordered. "Ashlyn, you're with me. Jayden, be ready with some healing spells. Let's go!"

Assaulting the ogre in pairs kept it off balance, and since each group contained a warrior, both groups could deal a good amount of damage. Alistair worried about the women as he fought the ogre from behind, but he soon realized his concern was unnecessary. Ashlyn's enchanted arrows were really slowing the beast down, and Arianna was quick on her feet and able to avoid the ogre's ramming blows. Even the wolf and the hound contributed with steady attacks.

"Jayden, I really hope you are cooking up something good because it's looking at us now," Alistair called over his shoulder to the mage who was conjuring what looked to be a powerful spell.

"Oh yeah," Jayden answered while building the spell. "Get ready to charge that monster when I let go of this."

With a grunt, Jayden released his magic on the ogre. The beast was stopped mid-step and did not move again.

"Paralysis spell," Jayden called out. "Attack it with everything you got!"

Alistair took the hint and jumped at the ogre. He sunk his blade into its chest while Arianna sliced at the back of its legs which caused it to fall backward and land roughly on the floor. Alistair then brought his sword down on the beast's neck, severing its head.

"I think we work well together," Alistair announced as he sheathed his sword.

They moved to the windows to observe the battle below. The Grey Wardens were pushed back, but they weren't defeated yet.

"Let's get this fire lit. I hope we are not too late," Arianna said. She raced to pull a burning torch from the wall and threw it on top of the beacon. Light burst from the Tower as the signal ignited.

"They will be okay if Loghain's men get there soon," Alistair said reassuringly.

They continued to watch and wait for any sign of the reinforcements. After a couple of minutes, Alistair grew anxious as the King's Army still hadn't appeared. "Where are they? They should be charging the field by now."

"You're right," Ashlyn said. "Something is wrong… I sense… enemies coming!"

Before she had finished the warning, the door to their floor had been kicked in and a volley of arrows came soaring into the room at them. Jayden managed to put a barrier up around himself in time to block the air attack. Alistair used his shield to cover both himself and Ashlyn since she was the closest to him, but Arianna was left out in the open. She went down as at least three arrows struck her body. A Hurlock Alpha then came bounding forward to attack the defenseless Warden.

"Arianna!" Alistair cried. He raced to her side and brought his shield up just in time to block the darkspawn's fatal strike, but a loud cracking sound could be heard as Alistair's shield was damaged from the attack.

Ashlyn had drawn her daggers and mercilessly stabbed the Hurlock from behind until it fell dead to the floor. Jayden had followed her, and now they all stood protectively around the injured Arianna. Jayden had pushed out his barrier to include his companions but voiced aloud that he wasn't sure how long he could hold it. They were all suffering from exhaustion in addition to minor wounds and were now faced with at least twenty darkspawn.

Just when Alistair thought all hope was lost, a portion of the roof disappeared above them, and he saw the last person he ever wanted to see again. It was Morrigan, and she was riding on the back of an enormous dragon. She jumped off the creature when it landed on the floor. The dragon then set to work attacking the darkspawn. It swung its thick tail and knocked several of them off their feet. It followed up with a long blast of fire which sent the enemy scurrying for cover.

As Morrigan surveyed the situation, she spoke, "Well, well. Looks like you've had better nights. No wonder Mother insisted we come here this eve." She then noticed Arianna's condition, and a look of concern passed briefly over her features. "Your companion is not well. 'Tis necessary to transport her immediately."

"Transport where?" Alistair demanded as every protective instinct in him screamed against the idea of trusting the witches.

"Back to our hut. We should go now. Mother can carry her as you will need both hands to hang on," she directed to Alistair.

"Mother?" Jayden asked.

Morrigan looked amused and said, "The dragon there, surely you didn't miss her."

"Your mother can transform into a dragon?" he asked in awe.

"Of course. Now, there is no time to waste," Morrigan said as the dragon made its way over to them.

Ashlyn called to Arrow and Duke, "Follow us." She then had to pull Alistair away from Arianna to climb onto the dragon's back. Once everyone was situated, Morrigan's Mother scooped Arianna up with a claw and took to the sky. As they gained altitude, Alistair looked back at the Tower to see dozens of darkspawn filling the room they had just evacuated.

Ashlyn brought his attention to the battlefield down below. "The Wardens… the battle is lost." The ground was strewn with the bodies of their brethren.

Alistair was struck with grief so profound that he nearly lost his grip on the dragon. Only the worry over Arianna kept him focused and in the moment. _Please Maker, please let her be okay_, he prayed over and over. The flight back to the hut was the longest fifteen minutes of his life.

The dragon landed and the passengers quickly dismounted. Morrigan's Mother then regained her natural form. It was obvious the change had exerted her from the way she panted, but that didn't stop her from barking orders.

"You," she pointed to Alistair, "carry her to the hut and place her on the bed. Morrigan, I am going to need hot water and healing herbs."

They moved quickly to follow the older woman's commands. Once Arianna was in the hut ready for treatment, Morrigan's Mother told Ashlyn that she may stay, but she needed to get her companions out.

"What? Why?" Alistair asked angrily, distressed at the thought of leaving Arianna's side.

Ashlyn was able to field the question. "We are going to have to remove her clothes to get the arrows out. She only wants to preserve Arianna's modesty." At Alistair's hesitation she added, "I will keep you updated and come get you the moment anything should happen."

"Come on Alistair," Jayden said softly and gently led him outside.

Alistair looked back one last time to see Morrigan and her mother removing Arianna's armor. _She has to make it_, he thought sadly._ I can't lose her... I just found her. _


	5. Chapter 5  Flemeth's Hut & Lothering

A/N: So sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter posted! I am a weekend writer, and now that it is finally getting warmer, my weekends are filling up. I am still very upset with myself that it took this long to get this chapter up... I promise to do better in the future.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

* * *

Chapter 5 – Flemeth's Hut & Lothering

Ashlyn came inside the hut the next morning carrying a bag of supplies and a pail of water. She was met with the sight of Alistair lightly dozing in an uncomfortable-looking chair and holding Arianna's hand while she lay unconscious in an old raggedy bed. A very long night had passed with much stress and worry. There had been two arrows stuck in Arianna's chest and another one in her right thigh. After Morrigan's Mother had removed all the arrows, she had spun her magic into the wounds to stop the bleeding. She then used healing herbs to make the dressings that were now covering the Warden's injuries. The old woman had said that only time would tell if she would live through the night. _Thank the gods Arianna is a fighter because I don't think Alistair could have handled another death of someone he cared about._

Ashlyn set the water down and searched through the supplies Morrigan's mother had given her. She pulled a bar of lye soap out and broke it in half before waking Alistair. "Alistair," she said softly as she gently shook his shoulder.

Like any well trained soldier, he came awake with a start. "What… what is it?" he asked as he released Arianna's hand and stood up.

Ashlyn tossed one half of the lye bar to him and said, "Go get washed up. You smell like a darkspawn armpit." When he didn't automatically comeback with a witty reply, she continued, "Trust me… that is one fragrance that will not attract Arianna. There is a small stream not far behind the hut, and you can find a towel hanging on the line outside that is dry. I am going to cleanse and redress her wounds while you're gone."

"Okay," he replied before slowly shuffling his way across the room. He looked back at Arianna when he reached the door.

"She is going to be all right," Ashlyn said trying to ease his mind.

"I know," he replied sadly.

"Everything else will be all right, too," she said with an encouraging smile.

"I hope you are right." With one last glance toward the bed, Alistair opened the door and went outside.

The elf shook her head and sighed at his departure. _Did I look that haunted right after I lost Tamlen? _She turned her attention to the woman lying in the bed. "You need to wake up," she whispered to Arianna. "I am not sure anyone but you will be able to get through to him in his grief." She then started to remove her fellow Warden's bandages. She paused for a moment to pull a small clothe from the supply bag before dipping it in the water and gently washing away the blood and filth of the previous night's battle from her friend.

She had just finished with the chest wounds when she heard Arianna mumble, "Alistair…"

"Shh Ari, he's fine. He went outside to get cleaned up," Ashlyn said, relieved that warrior was finally coming around.

"Ashlyn?" she asked as she opened her eyes.

"Yes, I am right here," she answered. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Where are we?" the warrior wondered aloud as she took in her surroundings.

"We are at the hut of Morrigan and her Mother, who turns out to be the Flemeth of legend by the way. I can't believe Daveth was right about the whole 'Witch of the Wilds' thing."

"Somehow, I am not that surprised," she said as she struggled to sit up. "Why are we here?"

"What do you remember?" Ashlyn answered the question with another as she helped her friend get comfortable.

Arianna was thoughtful for a moment. "We were at the top of the Tower… and we defeated an ogre."

"Yes, that's right. What else do you recall?"

It was obvious that the warrior didn't remember all the details of the previous night because she exclaimed, "Did the King's army ever arrive?"

The elf shook her head solemnly. "No. Loghain and his men abandoned the Wardens and the King. It was a massacre… no one survived."

"Andraste's mercy," Arianna said quietly. After a moment, she spoke again, "I remember darkspawn bursting through the door and being shot with arrows, and Alistair… he saved me. But how did we get out of the Tower?"

Ashlyn explained how Morrigan and Flemeth came to their rescue. She also described the warrior's injuries and what had been done to heal her. "You may have a few scars, but you'll be back in fighting condition in no time."

"Are Jayden and the canines are okay?"

"Well, Arrow and Duke followed us here on foot. They arrived in the middle of the night and curled up next to me as I slept outside. As for Jayden… I assume he is still fine. The last time I saw him, he was sneaking off through the bushes with Morrigan saying something about needing to blow off some 'magical energy'."

"Morrigan, seriously?" Arianna chuckled. "I bet Alistair is thrilled about that. How is he holding up by the way?" she asked concerned.

"He's taking Duncan's death pretty hard. I am afraid his sorrow is consuming him. Hopefully, he will perk up a little now that you are awake," Ashlyn said as she returned to cleaning the last of the warrior's wounds.

"You and I both know how difficult it is to lose those we love. All we can do is offer support." She grimaced as the elf placed a fresh health poultice over her thigh wound.

"Let me get you something for the pain." Ashlyn went to the supply bag and brought back a health potion.

As Arianna drank the remedy, her friend continued, "He really cares for you, you know. He refused to leave your side last night."

The warrior smiled to herself and said, "I thought I had just dreamt of him talking and sitting with me."

"Alistair watches over you… the way Tamlen watched over me," the elf said in a tone that conveyed her heartache.

"Tamlen… that was his name, huh?" Arianna asked gently.

"Yes, and he was an amazing companion." Ashlyn shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and said, "I am going to dump this water, and refill the pail. We'll get your hair rinsed out when I get back." Before she left the hut, she turned back to Arianna. "I am really glad you are all right. Defeating the darkspawn wouldn't be the same without you."

- - - - - With Arianna - - - - -

Arianna felt much better after she was clean. Ashlyn had brought her breakfast which she consumed like she hadn't eaten in months. While she was eating, the the elf had set to work at re-braiding her long, blond hair. Once the braids were pinned back in her usual style, the two women emerged from the hut in search of their fellow Grey Wardens.

Duke came bounding over to them barking happily. Arianna affectionately stroked the soft fur behind the hound's ears and looked up to see Jayden and Morrigan sitting together by a fire where they were busy chopping up vegetables. Alerted by the dog's noise, Jayden smiled and stood up to come greet them as well. Morrigan nodded to her but stayed where she was to continue preparing what looked to be a stew.

"Nice to see you up and moving," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Lucky to be alive," she replied honestly.

"That you are," he agreed.

Ashlyn looked at Jayden and asked, "So Morrigan, huh? You know I didn't get the impression that you liked her 'that way' the last time we were in the Wilds."

This caused the mage to laugh. "I told you and Alistair back at camp that I am not inexperienced when it comes to the opposite sex. Besides, Circle mages don't 'do' relationships. Back at the Tower, we are forbidden from falling in love and having families. The Chantry and their templars don't want us reproducing more mages. So I am used to flings, and trust me, that was all Morrigan was looking for last night."

Ashlyn shook her head in amazement. "I can't imagine living that way… to be denied something as precious as love. Well now that you are a Warden, maybe you will be able to experience it someday."

"Maybe," he said as he glanced at Morrigan.

Arianna had to force herself to concentrate on the conversation in front of her. She couldn't stop thinking about Alistair, and her eyes sought him out while her friends were talking. _I hope he is all right. I could tell Ashlyn was concerned about him._ She finally spotted him standing with Morrigan's Mother out by a small pond. His back was towards her as he stared out across the water.

"Excuse me," she said before gingerly moving towards Alistair and the old woman.

Flemeth noticed her approach and said to Alistair, "See, here is your fellow warrior. You worry too much young man."

Alistair wheeled around to look at Arianna. She was taken aback by his reaction to seeing her. So much unspoken feeling was shining through his eyes. _No one has ever looked at me that way before. _

"You… you're alive," he said with relief. He walked to her and placed both hands gently on her shoulders. "I thought you were dead for sure."

"I'm okay," she said reassuringly. Remembering Flemeth's presence, she reluctantly pulled away after a moment to turn her attention to the infamous Witch of the Wilds. "Although I wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for you as I understand. Thank you for saving us… but I have to ask, why did you do it?"

"Well, we can't have all the Grey Wardens dying at once, can we?" Flemeth continued by stating, "Someone has to deal with these darkspawn and destroy the Archdemon. It has always been the Warden's duty to unite the lands against the Blight, or did that change when I wasn't looking?"

"Of course not, but there are only four of us now," Alistair answered as they started walking back towards the hut. "No Grey Warden has ever defeated a Blight without the army of at least a half dozen nations at his back. Not to mention, I don't know how."

"How to kill an Archdemon or how to raise an army? It seems to me, those are two different questions, hmm? Have the Wardens no allies these days?" Flemeth asked as they reached Ashlyn and Jayden.

Alistair thought about it for a second before saying, "I suppose… Arl Eamon Guerrin of Redcliffe wasn't at Ostagar so he still has all his men, and he was the King's uncle so he would have a special interest in helping us. Plus, I know him… he is a good man. "

"I guess a trip to Redcliffe is in order," Ashlyn said.

_There have to be others who could stand and fight with us_, Arianna thought to herself. She then remembered one of the tasks Duncan had assigned them when they first came to the Wilds. "What about the treaties? Duncan said they promised support and could prove useful in the days to come."

"The treaties, of course!" Alistair said excitedly. "Grey Wardens can demand aid from dwarves, elves, mages, and other places. They are obligated to help us during a Blight."

"Well, it sounds as though your course is clear," Flemeth stated as Morrigan approached the group.

"The stew is bubbling Mother dear. Shall we have four guests for the eve or none?" Morrigan asked.

"The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them," Flemeth told her daughter.

"Such a shame—what?" Morrigan looked at her mother with an appalled expression.

It took some convincing, but Flemeth eventually got her daughter to agree to accompany the Wardens on their quest. The Wardens themselves had mixed feelings on the matter. Jayden seemed pleased to have Morrigan join their party while Alistair didn't think it was a particularly good idea to bring an apostate with them on the road, but he eventually agreed with Ashlyn an Arianna that they needed all the help they could get. It was decided that they would leave right after lunch and try to reach the city of Lothering before nightfall.

Morrigan said her goodbyes to her mother as the Wardens gathered their equipment. _We are going to have to pick up supplies in Lothering. We will need tents, bedding, and food to survive on the road_, Arianna thought as she strapped on her sword and dagger. As she picked up her shield, the memory of Alistair saving her from the Hurlock Alpha's death blow came to mind. _His shield sounded like it had cracked from the force of the darkspawn's strike. I shall have to repay him for his selflessness._

Morrigan again acted as their guide as they left the Korcari Wilds. She kept a lively discussion going with Jayden about different entropy spells she enjoyed using while the elf and the two warriors were conversing about Teyrn Loghain.

"It doesn't make sense," Alistair said angrily. "Why would he abandon the King, his son-in-law?"

"Power hungry?" Ashlyn asked.

"I don't know, maybe," Arianna said. "But I wish you had been at the strategy meeting with me, Ashlyn. I had an uneasy feeling about him, and it would have been nice to know what you sensed from him."

"Too late to do anything about it now," Alistair said sadly.

Ashlyn gave Arianna a worried look. Arianna nodded her head at her elven friend to indicate that she wanted to speak with Alistair alone.

"Excuse me. I am going to go see what is going on in the world of mages," Ashlyn said as she jogged ahead to talk with Morrigan and Jayden.

"Are you all right, Alistair?" Arianna asked. "I couldn't help but notice you've been quieter and more reserved than normal. Do you want to talk about Duncan?"

"I am not handling this very well, am I?" Alistair let out a large sigh. "Duncan warned me right from the beginning that this could happen, that any of us could die in battle. I just can't get past the feeling that I abandoned him. I should have been fighting beside him on the battlefield."

"I can completely relate. I had to leave my parents behind the night Howe's men attacked my home," Arianna said, nearly choking up with emotion.

"I am so sorry," Alistair said quickly. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"No, please. I think it will help to talk about it," she said trying to regain her composure. "My mother and I were woken up in the middle of the night by screams. Howe's men had already killed my brother's wife and son by the time we reached them. Mother and I knew right away we needed to find my father, so we fought our way through our own castle. By the time we reached him, he had already been fatally wounded, and my mother would not leave his side when Duncan agreed to help us escape. I can't help but think I should have stayed behind with my mother to defend my father… and my home."

Alistair stopped their progress and turned toward Arianna. "But you would have died as well… if you had stayed."

She looked into his beautiful brown eyes and said, "As would you… if Duncan had not ordered you and the rest of us to light the Tower's beacon."

Alistair gave her an adorable smile and said, "I guess the Maker had different plans for us."

"I guess you are right," Arianna replied sweetly. As they started walking again, she decided it was a good time to bring up Alistair's damaged shield. "I haven't gotten the chance to thank you yet."

"Thank me? For what?" he asked.

"For saving my life at the top of the Tower. I remember you blocking that Hurlock's blow after I had been shot."

Alistair blushed and replied, "Yes, I couldn't very well let that lovely face of yours become darkspawn fodder now could I?"

"I am very glad you didn't," she said before pulling her family's shield from her back. "Here, I want you to have this. It is the Shield of Highever. It was my father's. I know it would honor him for you to carry it."

Alistair seemed hesitant to accept her gift. "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course. I don't want you to be unprotected with a damaged shield," she said motioning toward the cracked shield he currently had strapped to his back. "Besides, fighting with sword and shield was always my father and brother's thing. I am a dual weapon kind of girl."

"Thank you," he said sincerely as he accepted the Shield of Highever from her. A feeling she couldn't describe filled her when she saw Alistair holding her family's shield. It was like that shield had always been meant for him.

"Let me take your old shield for now. We can try to sell it in Lothering. Maker knows we are going to need to find a way to raise some money to purchase all we need for traveling."

"We'll figure something out. Don't worry," Alistair reassured her as they increased their pace to catch back up to their companions.

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - Back with Ashlyn - - - - -

It was late afternoon when Lothering came into view. Alistair was much more talkative after he and Arianna rejoined the group, much to Morrigan's displeasure.

"I found him much more tolerable when he was wallowing in grief," the female mage said to Jayden while Alistair was explaining to the group how Arl Eamon raised him before he was sent to the Chantry.

Ashlyn overheard the comment and chuckled to herself. _Those two are about as different as night and day. There is never going to be a dull moment with this group._

Right as they were getting ready to cross the bridge into town, they were stopped by a group of bandits.

"Halt. No one enters Lothering without paying a small toll first," the leader of the highway men said.

The Wardens and Morrigan looked upon the bandits with expressions ranging from disgust to loathing.

Before any of them had a chance to respond, a large bulky man walked up next to the leader and said, "They don't look like them other refugees. In fact, that one sort of fits the description of the woman Teyrn Loghain's men were searching for," he said as he pointed at Arianna.

"You're right," the leader replied as he surveyed Ashlyn and her companions. "And I bet Loghain's soldiers would pay good money for turning this group in if they are really are Grey Wardens. Get 'em boys."

"Fools," Morrigan said before unleashing a most impressive array of lightning bolts at the attacking men.

Jayden added his magic to Morrigan's while Arianna and Alistair charged the highway men. Realizing she was too close for archery, Ashlyn drew her daggers and followed the warriors into battle with Arrow on her heels. With very little effort, the traveling companions had cut down every last one of the bandits.

"Well, at least one thing stays the same," Ashlyn said as she wiped the blood from her blades.

"And what is that?" Jayden asked.

"Bandits in the city are just as stupid as bandits in the forest," she replied.

"Spoken like a true Dalish elf," Morrigan complimented.

"If what they said is true, that Loghain has men searching for us, then we need to be extra careful in town," Alistair said.

"Alistair is right," Arianna agreed. "We can't let anyone know we are Wardens." She looked at the stockpile of goods the bandits had swindled from people fleeing the darkspawn. "I know we should just get the supplies we need and leave, but I want to turn in the money and items the bandits have taken from the refugees as well."

"Would it not be wiser to simply keep the loot and use it to procure our own supplies?" Morrigan questioned.

"No," Arianna answered. "The people in this town need this much more than we do. We will find other means."

Alistair seemed very pleased with their leader's decision. "Well, let's get on with it. Jayden, give me a hand with this chest."

As he bent down to collect the pilfered items, Alistair saw the body of a dead knight lying a few feet away. "Poor soul," he said as he approached the body. He noticed the deceased had something clutched in his left hand. "What do we have here?" he asked as he removed a small locket and piece of folded parchment from the body.

Arianna watched Alistair with interest as he opened the note. "What did you find?"

"A locket and a letter addressed to a Ser Donall from a Ser Henric. That's funny… I know a Ser Donall from Redcliffe. I wonder if this is addressed to the same person. We should try to find him if he is here and give him these things."

"Of course," Arianna said before looking towards Lothering. "Let's get moving. It's going to be dark soon."

They quickly gathered the bandit's loot and headed into town. On their way, they were met by a templar.

"Word of warning to you strangers, Lothering is lost," the templar said upon their arrival.

"Lost?" Ashlyn asked.

"The scouts say the darkspawn are headed this way. And if it is shelter you seek, it will be hard to come by here. Danal's Tavern and the Chantry are full to bursting with refugees fleeing from the south."

"All we need is supplies… and to turn in the money and valuables the bandits who were outside of town took from the people passing through."

"The bandits who "were" outside of town? Are they no longer there?" he asked surprised.

"We took care of them," Alistair responded. "They will not be a problem for you anymore."

"This is excellent news! Those scoundrels have been a real nuisance. You will find my commander, Ser Bryant, in the Chantry. He is who you need to see."

"Thank you," Arianna said as the group continued walking to the largest building in town.

When the Chantry's heavy, wooden doors opened, they saw a well-armored man giving orders to other templars.

"That must be him," Jayden said taking a step back. "Well, I think it is best if Morrigan and I sit out on this conversation. If you need us, we'll be outside." Jayden handed Ashlyn the goods he was carrying and took his fellow mage's arm to pull her back outside.

Ashlyn stood dumbfounded with her arms full. "What was that about?"

"Oh mages, and their utter dislike of templars," Alistair responded dryly. "Really, we're not so bad. At least I'm not, am I?"

"Yeah, you're not so bad… for a self-important, Chantry-loving, tight-ass templar," Ashlyn said with a wink.

"Thank you Ashlyn, I feel so much better now," Alistair joked.

Arianna laughed and said, "Come on; let's get this over with."

They walked up behind a group of templars.

"Excuse me, Ser Bryant?" Arianna inquired.

"Yes, that's me," the heavily armored man responded as he turned to face them. "How may I be of service?"

"We wanted to turn these items in." Arianna gestured to the goods the three Wardens were carrying. "We were hoping you would be able to either return these things to their previous owners or distribute them to those in need."

"Previous owners? Where did all this come from?" Ser Bryant asked.

"A band of not so intelligent bandits who made the mistake of trying to collect a toll from us," Ashlyn answered as they started to hand everything over to the templars standing beside their commander.

"I don't know what to say… most people would have just kept everything for themselves. Thank you. I cannot let your generosity go unrewarded." The templar commander reached behind his chest plate and pulled a small pouch out of his shirt pocket. "It isn't much, but there should be at least a sovereign in here." He handed the pouch to Arianna.

"Thank you Ser Bryant," she said as she accepted the small purse.

Ser Bryant thoroughly assessed the three Wardens before stating, "You don't seem like the other refugees. Are you some of Arl Eamon's knights?"

"Actually, we are looking for one of his men, a Ser Donall. Have you seen him?" Alistair inquired. "We have a message for him."

_Quick thinking Alistair,_ Ashlyn mentally praised. _Now Ser Bryant won't contemplate us being Grey Wardens._

"Why yes I have. In fact, he is here in the Chantry now. You can find him in the back library searching for information on the Urn of Sacred Ashes."

"You have been most helpful," Arianna said to Ser Bryant as the Wardens turned to head to the back of the Chantry. "Thanks again!"

"Smooth talking back there," Ashlyn commented to Alistair once they moved out of earshot of Ser Bryant.

"Well, I really did want to find Ser Donall, but it does make for a convenient excuse for us being here," Alistair responded.

"Ser Bryant mentioned something about an Urn of Sacred Ashes. What was he talking about?" Ashlyn asked.

Arianna explained, "It is said to contain the ashes of Andraste, which can cure any ailment. But it has always been assumed to be merely a myth."

"Yes, you would have to be desperate to go looking for that," Alistair added. "I hope everything is all right in Redcliffe."

The chantry really was overloaded with refugees. They had to weave their way around groups of people as they made their way back to the library.

"This is horrible," Arianna said sadly. "So many people forced to flee their homes."

Alistair nodded in agreement. "It is a good reminder of what we are trying to protect."

As they rounded a large group of shelves, they saw a knight in the middle of the aisle skimming pages of an old book. He looked up when he heard their approach. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he recognized Alistair.

"Alistair, is that you?" Ser Donall asked.

"Yes it's me," Alistair returned happily as he shook hands with the Redcliffe knight. "How have you been?"

"I am good. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Arl Eamon."

Alistair's smile disappeared and his eyes lighted with concern. "What is wrong with Eamon?"


	6. Chapter 6 Meeting Leliana & Sten

A/N: Yay for new characters!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

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Chapter 6 – Meeting Leliana & Sten

"You don't know? The Arl is deathly sick," Ser Donall told the stunned Grey Wardens.

Alistair looked as though he had just been punched in the gut. "What is wrong with him?"

"No one knows. One night he went to sleep, and he hasn't woken up since. They have tried different potions and powerful magic, but nothing has helped. That is why the Arlessa has Redcliffe's knights scouring the lands of Ferelden in search of Andraste's ashes," he explained.

"Not Eamon too," Alistair whispered.

"To be honest, I never thought I would see you again, Alistair. News from Redcliffe is that all the Grey Wardens are dead, thanks to Loghain's withdrawal at Ostagar. The Arl's brother, Bann Teagan, is furious at the Teyrn for leaving the King to die. We all know if Eamon were well, he'd set Loghain straight."

Ashlyn was relieved that the Redcliffe knight sounded like he was on their side even though he knew Alistair was a Warden. Something did bother her though about what Ser Donall had just said about Eamon. D_oesn't it seem just a little too convenient that the one man who would have protested against Loghain's actions wasn't there? _"When did the Arl become sick?" she asked the suspiciously.

"Just a couple weeks ago," the knight answered.

Picking up on what Ashlyn was thinking, Arianna wondered aloud, "Could Loghain have had something to do with the Arl's illness?"

"That does make sense," Alistair said. "Eamon would have never left his nephew to die."

"That is a most disturbing thought, indeed," Ser Donall said. "I should get going. I have been waiting for my fellow knight to show up, but I think my commander needs to be informed of this theory immediately. I haven't found anything on the Urn here anyway."

As the knight returned the book he had been holding to its shelf, Alistair asked, "Wait. Was Ser Henric the name of the knight you are waiting for?"

Ser Donall looked puzzled when he replied, "Yes, how did you know that?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but he is dead. We found his body before we came into town. Here, these things are for you." Alistair handed the locket and letter to the knight.

"I am sorry for your loss. We have already taken care of the bandits who took his life," Arianna said as Ser Donall read the message.

After reading the note, Ser Donall looked up at the Wardens. "Thank you. It is his wife's picture inside this locket. At least now I won't show up empty handed when I tell her of her husband's fate. And according to this letter, he found some information about a scholar in Denerim who might know the location of Andraste's final resting place." He tucked the message and the locket safely into his travel pack. "Perhaps we shall meet again. Farewell friends," Ser Donall said as he took off at quick march out of the Chantry.

- - - - - Meanwhile, Outside with Jayden - - - - -

"You know, a room full of templars does not frighten me," Morrigan said to Jayden after their traveling companions had disappeared into the Chantry. Jayden led the female mage around to the side of the building, leaving Arrow and Duke waiting by the entrance.

"Well of course not. But this way, I get to have you all to myself for a little bit," the male mage returned seductively as he pressed her up against the Chantry's outer wall.

"Defile the sacred wall of the Chantry? 'Tis an interesting idea to be sure," she said wickedly. "But I do not do public displays."

"Perhaps later tonight then, after we set up camp," he offered with an alluring smile.

"That could be arranged… if we ever make it out of this pitiful little town," Morrigan said taking a few steps away from him to look out across the village. "Where are those three?"

"They'll be back soon," Jayden said as he walked up beside her. Together, they observed the chaos that was Lothering quietly for a few minutes. Tents were plopped down haphazardly, and people could be seen bustling around everywhere, even at this late hour. The air was so thick with fear and despair that it was almost tangible.

As Jayden surveyed their surroundings, he was having a hard time getting the words out of his mind that Ashlyn had said to him after learning he had never been free to love someone. _"I can't imagine living that way… to be denied something as precious as love. Well now that you are a Warden, maybe you will be able to experience it someday."_ Jayden couldn't help but wonder if Morrigan could be 'the one'.

Although, he doubted it. Morrigan had made it pretty clear to him last night that what they had done was strictly platonic. _But who I am to deny simple pleasures as they come along, especially in these times,_ he thought to himself as he watched Morrigan out of the corner of his eye.

His fellow Wardens appeared after a few more minutes with the canines on their heels.

"So glad you could join us," Morrigan said sarcastically to them as they approached.

"We are sorry to keep you waiting, your harpy-ness," Alistair replied dryly.

Morrigan's eyes narrowed at Alistair. Before she could retaliate, Arianna said, "We've got good news and bad news."

"Well, I don't see how things could possibly get any worse than they already are so let's hear the bad news first," Jayden said.

Arianna looked at Alistair before explaining, "We found Alistair's friend, Ser Donall of Redcliffe, inside. He told us that Arl Eamon is very sick, so sick that the reason for Ser Donall being here was to look for information on the Urn of Sacred Ashes."

"Definitely not good," Jayden agreed.

"Which is why we will be traveling to Redcliffe first," Arianna said surprising Alistair.

"Really?" the male warrior asked.

"We need Redcliffe's soldiers to help us defeat the Blight, and I know how much Eamon means to you. We've got to go see if there is anything we can do to help him," Arianna answered.

Alistair's eyes were filled with gratitude when he said to their leader, "Thank you. I would have never forgiven myself if I didn't go to him before he died."

"There is no guarantee that he is going to die," Arianna said reassuringly. "Maybe someone will find the Urn."

"Yes, yes. A mythological urn is just bound to turn up any day now," Morrigan said unimpressed. "Enough of this sentimental rubbish. You are making me nauseated."

_Yeah, Morrigan may not be 'the one', _Jayden thought with a smile. _But I do not regret getting to know her._

"The good news is that Ser Bryant gave us a reward for turning in the stolen goods," Ashlyn said refocusing everyone. "So we now have enough money to buy our traveling supplies."

"But where are we going to find a vendor open at this hour?" Jayden asked.

"From my experience, you can always count on finding a merchant at the local pub," Alistair stated.

"To the tavern then," Arianna directed as they started walking through town.

Danal's Tavern came into view shortly after they crossed a small bridge in the middle of town. Ashlyn wasn't looking forward to going inside another packed building. Being surrounded by so many people made her uncomfortable, but she knew she would have to get used it. _That doesn't mean I have to make my canine friends suffer though. _She asked Arrow and Duke to wait outside again to prevent them from getting stepped on by the crowd within the tavern.

"Let's just get what we need and head out of town to make camp for the night," Arianna instructed as they stepped inside.

"The bartender should know who we can purchase supplies from," Alistair said. They started towards the bar, weaving around refugees as they went.

Before they could make it there, a heavily armed soldier stepped into their path. He looked over his shoulder at the three men behind him and said, "Well, look what we have here, men. I think we have just been blessed." He turned his attention back to the Wardens and Morrigan. "We have been looking for you Wardens all day."

"Uh oh. Loghain's men. This can't be good," Alistair said.

"You think?" Jayden said as he pulled his staff from behind his back. "Are you sure they just don't want to have a drink with us?"

"Yes, that would be a nice change. Wouldn't it?" Alistair bantered back.

The rest of the group followed Jayden's example and readied their weapons for the impending confrontation. Before the fight broke out though, a lovely little redheaded woman in Chantry robes stepped in between the opposing sides.

"Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble. These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refuge," the woman said to Loghain's soldiers.

_Who is this woman?_ _She is either very brave or very foolish to put her life on the line to prevent a fight from breaking out, _Jayden thought to himself.

"They're more than that," the commander of Loghain's men said. "Now stay out of our way sister. You protect these traitors and you'll get the same as them."

Without any further warning, Loghain's men attacked. The townspeople and refugees quickly scattered out of the way. Jayden was unconcerned about his companions as the fight began, but he found himself worried about the little redhead. He saw that she was battling with a small sword alongside his friends against a much larger soldier. For some reason he couldn't describe, he cast a protective barrier around her.

_It is only because she is a civilian_, he told himself as he used a telekinesis spell to hold a soldier in place for Ashlyn to knock out.

Loghain's soldiers were soon overpowered, and it seemed they did have some brains after all because the leader put up his hands and said, "All right, you've won. We surrender."

"Good, they've learned their lesson. We can all stop fighting now," the Chantry woman said.

Arianna walked up to the beaten men. "We are not the traitors. It was Loghain who left the King and the Grey Wardens to die on the battlefield at Ostagar."

The commander started to say something but Arianna angrily interrupted him.

"I don't want to hear whatever lies or excuses Loghain is spouting." She leaned in aggressively and said, "Be silent if you wish to walk out of here alive."

"Yes miss," the man squeaked.

"Now, I want you to take a message back to your murdering leader. Tell him we know what he did. Tell him, we are coming for him," Arianna said threateningly.

"Leave your weapons and get out of here," Alistair said pushing the men towards the door.

Once Loghain's soldiers were out of the tavern, the redhead moved around to stand in front of the Warden's party.

"I apologize for interfering, but I couldn't just sit by and not help. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leliana, and you must be Grey Wardens, yes? I know after what happened at Ostagar you will need all the help you can get to defeat the darkspawn. That is why I plan on coming along with you."

Even though the thought of traveling with the beautiful woman was incredibly tempting, Jayden argued against her joining them for fear of her safety. "No way! This is a Blight we are talking about. It is way too dangerous to bring a Chantry sister along with us."

"Former sister, actually," Leliana said to the male mage before looking back to the rest of the group. "Besides, the Maker wants me to go with you."

"More crazy? I thought we were all full up," Alistair murmured to his fellow Wardens.

"Look, I know it sounds insane, but it is true! I had a dream… a vision," Leliana pleaded. "You are doing the Maker's work by ridding the land of the darkness that is spreading over it. Let me help."

"I think she would make a good addition," Ashlyn spoke up. "Her intentions certainly aren't evil."

"I agree with Ashlyn," Arianna said. "Help is hard to come by, and we never know when we might need a Chantry contact."

"So it is settled then, yes?" Leliana said with a bright smile, causing Jayden's heart to skip a beat.

_That smile is going to be the death of me_, Jayden thought as Arianna started making introductions.

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - With Ashlyn - - - - -

Leliana had been instrumental at helping them locate the merchant in the tavern. They were able to purchase and trade for all the supplies they needed, including tents, bedding, and food. Arianna sold Alistair's old shield and bought a new breastplate since hers had been damaged when she was shot with arrows atop the Tower of Ishal. She also thought ahead and purchased a map of Ferelden. Ashlyn stocked up on herbs and potion supplies, and Leliana had needed armor since the Chantry robes she wore would offer little protection. Thinking that the extra weapons may come in handy, they decided to keep the ones they confiscated from Loghain's men. Once everyone was equipped with a backpack, it was time to leave Lothering.

Along the way, Alistair pulled Ashlyn to the back of the group to speak with her privately.

"So Ashlyn, you're a woman," he started nervously.

"Your powers of observation are astounding," Ashlyn joked with a smile.

Alistair brushed her comment off. "Yeah, yeah. What I meant was… since you are a woman, can you tell me what sort of things women like?"

"Things we like?" Ashlyn asked confused.

"As in gifts," Alistair said quickly with a blush.

Understanding dawned on the elf's face. "I see," she said with a smile. "This wouldn't happen to be for a certain beautiful blond warrior, would it?"

"It might," Alistair admitted. "It is just that she has been so wonderful about everything, even though I know she has to be hurting on the inside over the loss of her family and home. I mean, she could have died last night, and here she is, showing more concern about the refugees in this village than she did for herself. And there is just something about her… I have never felt this way about anyone before."

Ashlyn's memory temporarily took her back a couple years ago when Tamlen had given her the bow she currently carried. It was one Master Ilen's finest works. Tamlen had led her to believe that he had an interest in becoming an apprentice to Master Ilen when in actuality, he was just working for him long enough to pay off her gift. She had been so surprised when he presented her with the master Dalish longbow. _"A Dalish warrior is only as good as the bow he carries. You are my true bow, not this piece of wood strapped to my back. And without you, I would be nothing. So whenever you use it, I want you to think of me… and remember how important you are to me lethallan." _They had shared their first kiss after that. It was a memory she would cherish forever.

She came back to the present and answered Alistair's question. "The best gifts I received from Tamlen were the ones that had special meaning behind them. As long as it comes from the heart, you can't go wrong," she told him as they picked up their pace to rejoin the group.

Ashlyn was distracted before they made it out of town by a cage holding the largest man she had ever seen. She approached the man curiously to try to get a better read on him. She noticed that he stood silent and reserved in his confinement. _This man could be a force to be reckoned with. Although, I don't sense any outward hostility from him. What has he done to deserve this fate?_

She realized that the captive was watching her as she studied him. As the rest of the group came up behind her, she asked the man, "Who are you?"

"A prisoner," he replied matter-of-factly. "I am in a cage, am I not?"

Ashlyn looked at Leliana and asked, "What was his crime?"

"The Revered Mother said he slaughtered an entire family, even the children," she answered.

Ashlyn turned back to the prisoner to see how he would respond.

"It is as she says. I am Sten of the Beresaad, the vanguard of the Qunari people."

"I have heard of the Qunari. The Dalish tell stories of their strength and discipline. They are said to be some of the fiercest fighters around." Ashlyn then turned her companions and said, "We should take him with us."

A flicker of some emotion passed through Sten's face before his stoic expression returned.

"This is a proud and powerful creature, trapped as prey for the darkspawn. If you cannot find a use for him, I suggest releasing him for mercy's sake alone," Morrigan spoke up, surprising everyone.

"Mercy?" Alistair asked. "I would have not have expected that from you."

"I would also suggest that Alistair take his place in the cage," Morrigan replied.

"Yes, that's what I would have expected." Alistair said. He then asked Arianna, "And what does our fearless leader think?"

Arianna approached the prisoner. "We are in need of skilled help against the Blight. Would you fight with us if we found a way to release you?"

"The Blight? You must be Grey Wardens then."

"Yes, most of us are," Arianna answered. "Fighting with us will not make right what you have done. But perhaps you will find atonement along the way."

"Very well. If you set me free, I will follow you against the Blight," Sten swore.

"Who has the power to release him?" Arianna asked Leliana.

"The Revered Mother does. She can be found in the Chantry," Leliana responded.

Morrigan shook her head and rolled her eyes as she walked up to the cage and turned to face the rest of the group. "Why must we always do things the hard way? We don't have time for that. You there," she said pointing to Ashlyn. "You are a rogue, are you not? Can you pick this lock?"

"I could…" the elf said with a glance toward their leader. "It would keep us from going back through town."

"Not to mention probably saving us a tithe. From what I know of the Chantry, they rarely ever grant favors for free," Jayden said with a fleeting glance at Leliana, who looked slightly offended by his words.

"Too true," Morrigan agreed.

"I do not like doing this without alerting the local authorities, but I think they will have bigger problems here in a few days than one escaped prisoner. Go ahead Ashlyn," Arianna instructed.

The elf removed two pins from her hair and inserted them into the lock. It was only a moment before the cage clicked open.

"Welcome Sten," Ashlyn said to the warrior. "Glad to have you with us."

"Come on. The sun will be down within the hour," Arianna said leading the group towards the road out of town.

Ashlyn walked beside Sten as everyone started moving on again. She told him the names of his new traveling companions and explained that they would be stopping soon to make camp for the night. Realizing he most likely hadn't eaten in days, she dug into her pack and handed him a couple pieces of dried beef. He nodded his head at her as accepted the much needed nourishment. She was silent for a moment as he ate his food. She didn't know why, but she felt a strange sort of kinship with this man. Maybe because even though she had lived in Ferelden her whole life as part of her Dalish clan, she still felt like an outsider.

Sten broke through her reverie to say, "Thank you. You have shown me kindness I have not come to expect in your lands."

"You're welcome," she returned before Leliana practically skipped up to her.

The redhead linked her left arm through Ashlyn's right as she asked Sten, "Mind if I borrow her?"

Before Sten even had the chance to reply, Leliana was pulling the elf away towards Arianna whom she linked her right arm with, causing the three women to be chained together.

"I am so looking forward to traveling and fighting alongside the Grey Wardens, especially having sisters in arms," Leliana said cheerfully. "And speaking of fighting, the strangest thing happened back at the tavern. I was struggling against one of Loghain's soldiers when suddenly I felt like I had been covered in the softest silk imaginable, and the soldier never got close to me after that. Strange, yes?"

Ashlyn and Arianna shared a meaningful glance before they both looked ten paces ahead to where Jayden was walking with Morrigan. The female mage glanced over her shoulder and sent a glare towards Leliana, who luckily wasn't paying attention. _Well, there is no way Morrigan cast a barrier on her. That only leaves Jayden. Hmm, I wonder…_

Ashlyn looked back to Arianna, who shrugged at her in return. _"_I guess you must have had someone looking out for you," the elf told the spunky redhead.

"Yes, I completely agree. I told you the Maker set me on your path," Leliana said, not realizing Ashlyn was speaking of the male mage walking ahead of them.

Just when they had neared the edge of town, Ashlyn suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. _Something doesn't feel right._

A few moments later, the other three Wardens also froze in place.

Alistair turned to the others before warning, "Dark-"

"Help us!" a cry interrupted.

"-spawn," Alistair finished.

The Warden party quickly raced ahead towards the sound of the pleas for help. As they ran, Ashlyn called to Sten, "Here, you are going to need this." She threw him a large two-handed sword that had been graciously donated by Loghain's men.

They came upon two dwarves and an overturned wagon whose contents had been scattered about on the ground. Sten raced ahead with Arianna and Alistair as the mages started casting spells from afar. Ashlyn was pleased to have another archer in the group as Leliana pulled out a bow and began firing with an accuracy that would have earned her respect among the Dalish. Duke stayed beside the mages while Arrow protected the archers from any approaching darkspawn.

Ashlyn kept an eye on the warriors as she picked off her targets. Arianna and Alistair had gone straight for the dwarves to fight the Genlocks that had surrounded them while Sten showed he truly was a force to be reckoned with as he powerfully swung his sword against Hurlocks who were unlucky enough to be in his way. In no time at all, the small battle was over. Everyone gathered around the dwarves to make sure they were all right.

"Mighty fine timely arrival there my friends," the older brown-haired dwarf with a beard and mustache said. "I am much obliged. The name's Bodahn Feddic, merchant and entrepreneur. This here is my son, Sandal. Say hello, my boy."

"Hell-o," said the younger dwarf, who unlike his father had no facial hair and his blond hair was cropped short.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Arianna said.

"Road's been mighty dangerous these days. Mind if I ask where you are heading, Wardens? Perhaps we are going the same way," Bodahn said.

"Wardens? How did you know we were Wardens?" Ashlyn asked.

"I'm a dwarf, aren't I? The Grey Wardens have long made treks to Orzammar. I may have lost my stone sense but I can still recognize the fighters of those evil creatures when I see them," Bodahn replied.

"We are off to recruit help for the Blight," Arianna said answering the dwarf's original question.

"Say, you wouldn't want a couple extra members in your party? There may be more excitement on your path than is good for my boy and me, but then again, is there anywhere safer in these times than in the company Grey Wardens? Plus, you are going to be needing supplies as you travel. I'm perfectly willing to offer you a fine discount for the inconvenience of our presence. And my boy here is good with enchantments."

At his father's last comment, the boy started to clap his hands together. "Enchantment!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and down.

"That's right," Sandal's father said back. "He can fold lyrium into almost any weapon or piece of armor. So how does that sound? Good, yes?"

Everyone turned to look at Arianna. "Would you allow us some storage space in your wagon?"

"Of course," the merchant replied.

"Then we have a deal. The first thing we are going to need is some armor that can fit my large friend here," she said gesturing towards Sten who was garbed in simple village clothing.

"I think I have just the thing, if I can find it in all this mess," Bodahn replied.

The Warden party helped their new companions right the wagon that had been rolled over before reloading it with the goods that had been knocked free during the attack. Ashlyn noticed Alistair pick a lovely pink rose near the side of the road before picking up a chest to bring back to the wagon. _I guess he took my advice to _heart, she thought with a small smile as she bent to retrieve a crate of vials.

The dwarves repaid the Wardens for saving their lives by giving Sten a suit of steel chainmail free of charge. Once everything had been packed up, they continued on the road out of town. They didn't make it very far when they came upon a small clearing.

"This looks like a good place to stop for the night," Arianna said as everyone began making camp.

When the sun had finally faded below the horizon, Alistair started a fire which Ashlyn used to prepare their dinner. Leliana was kind enough to put up the elf's tent while she was cooking. Ashlyn looked up to see that Morrigan had gone off a ways from the rest of the group to make a private camp. _Either she is truly antisocial or she has plans for Jayden tonight_, she thought with a smirk as she finished the meal.

"Food's ready," Ashlyn called out.

Arianna took a seat next to Ashlyn. She had been studying the Ferelden map very carefully. "I have an idea," she announced to the group once everyone had surrounded the fire. "I think we should split up. Half of us should go to Redcliffe while the rest go on to the Circle Tower to recruit the mages."

"That does sound like a good idea," Alistair said. "We can cover more ground that way, and it will be easy to meet up. There is a road that travels along the west side of Lake Calenhad. Whichever group finishes first can follow the lake to meet the other group."

"That is exactly what I was thinking," Arianna smiled at Alistair. "So, what do you think Jayden? Do you want to lead the group heading to the Circle?"

"Sure," he said excited. "I would love to go back and see my friends." As he said this, Morrigan made a disgusted face.

"I'll go with him," Ashlyn spoke up. "I know there are other elves there. I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with them."

Arianna nodded her consent. "Morrigan, I think you had better come with me and Alistair. I am certain the mages' tower is no place for an apostate."

"Agreed," Morrigan said hastily.

"I wish to go with Jayden and Ashlyn," Leliana said with a shy glance toward Jayden. "I have heard many tales of the mages' home. I would like to see this place for myself."

"Very well," Arianna said. "Sten, do you have a preference of which group you go with?"

"I will go where the dog goes," he answered pointing towards Duke.

"To Redcliffe then," Arianna said.

Bodahn patted his son's shoulder and said, "We'll travel with the group going to Redcliffe. There is good trading to be had there."

"All right," the blond warrior agreed. "Now that is settled, we need to decide who is going to take watch tonight. Let's pair up and go in two shifts. I will volunteer to go first."

"I'll stay up with you," Alistair said to Arianna with a sincere look.

"And we shall take the second," Morrigan said while pulling Jayden back towards her private campsite. "We will most likely still be awake then anyways."

_Well, I guess I was right about Morrigan's plans for this evening_, Ashlyn thought to herself. _But I am curious as to how Leliana is going to fit into the scheme of things. _She had seen Leliana's face fall as Jayden had been led away. Ashlyn then looked towards the two Grey Warden warriors to see Alistair saying something that was making Arianna laugh. _They are good for one another. I wonder if Alistair will find the courage to share his feelings with her tonight…_


	7. Chapter 7 Lake Calenhad Docks

A/N: I hate that it has taken me this long to get this chapter done, but I have been suffering from my very first bought of writer's block. In fact, I was even contemplating killing Jayden off so I wouldn't have to write about him. Just kidding… but seriously, so much has happened since I last updated. My best friend got married to an amazing guy and my boyfriend of twelve years finally got the job he wanted after three years of searching. Plus, I haven't had a lot of down time this summer with vacations and family gatherings. No matter how distracted I have been, this story has constantly been in the back of my mind, and I have every intention of finishing it. Thanks for your patience!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

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Chapter 7 – Lake Calenhad Docks

Arianna was nervous as she walked the perimeter of the campsite, and it wasn't because she was worried about enemies attacking. No, no… her anxiety came from the fact that she was keeping watch tonight with a funny, attractive warrior, whom she was falling for a little more every day. Unfortunately for her though, she was more at ease battling darkspawn than she was being alone with Alistair. Tonight was the first time Arianna had ever wished that she hadn't dedicated so much time practicing her swordsmanship while growing up at Castle Cousland.

_Perhaps I should have entertained more of the suitors Mother and Father threw my way, instead of brushing them off to go train with Ser Gilmore. Maybe then I would know how to act around a man who has the power to make my insides melt with just a glance. _She remembered how Alistair had looked at her when she had emerged from Flemeth and Morrigan's hut that morning, and it caused a shiver to run through her body, although it had nothing to do with the night's temperature. _Get a hold of yourself, _she chastised internally as she took a seat by the fire.

She was pulled from her contemplation when the object of her musings came into view.

"It's quieter out here than it was in the monastery. That's a feat in and of itself," Alistair jokingly whispered, mindful not to wake any of their companions before sitting down beside her. "How are you feeling? I have been worried that you might have reopened your wounds today."

His concern caused tiny butterflies to take flight in her stomach. _He truly is everything I could ever want in a man... compassionate, witty, breathtakingly handsome... _She gave a small smile before replying, "I am well. Flemeth's magic worked wonders, and Ashlyn's bandages have held strong through the day."

"Good." Alistair took a deep breath before he reached behind his breastplate and presented her with a lovely pink rose.

"What is this?" Arianna asked surprised.

"I was thinking it could be my new weapon of choice. Watch as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements! Feel my thorns darkspawn! I will overpower you with my rosy scent!"

With his last statement he brought the rose up to his face to smell the delicate little flower. He released a sigh and then turned to face Arianna again. "Or, it could just be a beautiful rose for a beautiful woman."

The butterflies must have made their way to her heart because it fluttered at his words. She was desperately trying to think of something to say to him when he continued.

"When I saw it, all I could think was 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?'. It reminded me of you actually. For in a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you."

"Thank you, Alistair," she said accepting his gift. She laughed softly with happiness as she met his gaze. "This is most unexpected."

"I have been so distraught about Duncan… and now Eamon, and yet here you are, leading us with such strength and determination when I know you have lost far more than I have." He stood and paced in front of her before he pressed on, "I was terrified that you were going to die at the Tower of Ishal, and I couldn't endure the thought of losing you. I just had to say something tonight… tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this darkness."

Arianna stood up and stepped in front of him to stop his pacing. With sincerity she said, "It is I who should be saying these things to you. I wouldn't have had it in me to press forward without you here to lift my spirits. I am so grateful to have met you at such a tragic time in my life."

Alistair gave her a heart-stopping grin. "So where do we go from here?"

Arianna brought her rose up to take in its sweet scent. She answered with a shy smile, "I don't know… this is all so new to me, but… we'll figure it out together."

Alistair gently touched his forehead to Arianna's. "That sounds good to me."

- - - - - The Next Morning - - - - -

Morrigan and Jayden had relieved the warriors in the middle of the night so that they could get some rest. Alistair seemed to be disappointed in Jayden for 'fraternizing with the enemy' and had said as much to him before going to his tent. Jayden had just laughed and said, "Oh, but what 'fraternizing' it was."

Arianna had awoken from another nightmare filled with darkspawn and death. She came out of her tent rubbing her temples as if to soothe away the memory of what she had dreamt.

"Bad dreams, huh?" Alistair called to her when he saw her emerge. "Remind me to explain a few things to you and the other Wardens before we part ways."

The group would be traveling together until they reached Lake Calenhad. Breakfast was a quick affair, and they were soon back on the road traveling west.

As they journeyed, Alistair spoke with his fellow Wardens about the things Duncan never had the chance to tell them. He explained that they were actually hearing the Archdemon speak to the darkspawn when they slept and also that they would eventually be able to block the dreams out. The new Wardens also learned of their increased appetites as well as their shortened life span, the latter being a big surprise for Arianna. It was explained that they would only live for around thirty years or so after the Joining. At least she now knew why Duncan didn't tell them much before the initiation. _The Grey Wardens would have a terrible time recruiting if this were common knowledge. _

Eventually Lake Calenhad came into view. Alistair stepped in front of the entire group to make an announcement.

"There is something I need to say while we are all still together. It is something I should have told you before now," he said this last part while looking at Arianna.

"It is all right, Alistair," Leliana said. "We are all friends here, yes?"

"Speak for yourself sister," Morrigan grated.

Alistair cleared his throat before continuing. "I told most of you on the way into Lothering that I was raised by Arl Eamon. What I didn't tell you was why he did it. You see… my mother was a servant girl in the castle, and my father was… King Maric, which made Cailan my… half-brother."

Arianna was as speechless as everyone else it seemed. The sound of crickets chirping nearby was almost deafening compared to the silence of the half-formed circle of companions who had surrounded Alistair.

It was Jayden who broke through the awkwardness. "So you're not just a bastard, you're a royal bastard?"

This caused Alistair and several of the others to laugh. "Ha, I suppose it does," he replied. "Look, I would have said something before now, but… it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan's rule so they kept me secret. I've never talked about it to anyone, and everyone who did know either resented me for it or coddled me. Even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want any of you to know for as long as possible. I'm sorry."

He was looking at Arianna and she knew he was waiting on her to say something. She was somewhat hurt he hadn't told her before now, but she could understand his reasons for not doing so. "It's okay, Alistair."

"So you are the heir to the throne, then?" Ashlyn asked.

"Let's hope not! I am the son of a commoner and a Grey Warden to boot. Besides, I have no desire to be king. If there is an heir to be found, it is Arl Eamon himself. Let's just hope he is not as sick as we have heard. Anyway, there you have it. Now we can move on and I'll just pretend you still think I'm the same nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Wardens."

"Should be easy enough," Morrigan said as everyone else started to gather their packs. They began to say their goodbyes to those who were going in the opposite direction.

Arianna moved hastily to Alistair's side and grabbed his hand. "You don't really think that, do you? You mean so much more to me."

He turned to look her in the eyes and squeezed her hand gently. "Well… no. What I really think is that I was lucky enough to survive with you."

- - - - - With Jayden - - - - -

Breaking off from the rest of the group was harder than Jayden realized it was going to be. Although it wasn't that way for everyone, specifically Sten, who seemed bored as he waited for the humans, dwarves, and elf to exchange farewells. But for Jayden, Alistair and Arianna already felt like extended family, and the concept of not seeing them for several days made Jayden realize how close they had all become in such a short time. _I guess it is true when they say adversity breeds kinship, _he thought as he watched Ashlyn hug their fellow Wardens goodbye. Even Arrow and Duke seemed sad to be going in different directions.

His parting with Morrigan had been quite surprising to say the least. In full view of their companions, the female mage walked right up to him and kissed him with an intensity that had caught him off guard. Not that the kiss wasn't enjoyable. In fact, Jayden was quite relieved he wore robes that concealed just how much pleasure he received from it. He simply wasn't expecting such an open display from her in front of everyone. She released his lips after a few moments.

"Do not allow those imbeciles at the Circle to lock you back up," she said in typical Morrigan fashion before walking off in the direction towards Redcliffe.

_What has gotten in to her?_ Jayden wondered. _Wasn't she just yesterday all about not openly showing affection?_ He shrugged his shoulders and turned to start north towards the Circle of Magi. He hadn't even taken a full step when he noticed Leliana had been watching him and Morrigan. The redhead quickly looked away embarrassed when she realized she had been caught staring.

_Was it my imagination or did she look slightly sad before turning away? _Leliana was quite the mystery to Jayden. He had found himself thinking about her against his wishes ever since she had joined their group. She was beautiful, more so than Morrigan in his opinion, but he had a hard time trusting anyone associated with the Chantry. For it was the Chantry who had kept him imprisoned in the Circle Tower ever since his powers as a mage had first manifested. Jayden also had the feeling there was more to Leliana's story than she was letting on. He thought back to Loghain's soldiers attacking at the tavern in Lothering. _After all, where does a Chantry sister learn to fight like that?_

Jayden spent the rest of the afternoon contemplating Leliana and the strange feelings he was starting to develop for her. They made camp a few hours later to Jayden's immense relief as he was quite tired from staying up most of the previous night with Morrigan. _It was worth it, _Jayden thought remembering how the female mage had rode him into oblivion.

After a delicious dinner of rice and roasted fish that Ashlyn had prepared, they spent the remaining part of the evening lounging around the fire. Ashlyn was stroking the fur along her wolf's back when Leliana commented, "She is a magnificent creature. How did she come to be your companion?"

Ashlyn smiled before replying, "Right before I arrived at Ostagar, I freed Arrow from a trap some hunter had set. She has followed me ever since."

"Yes, freedom can have a drastic effect on one," she said with a faraway look. She then looked to Jayden and asked, "How has freedom from the Circle treated you? It must have been awful growing up at the Circle Tower, never being able to leave."

"You speak against the Chantry's control of the mages," Jayden said surprised.

"Just because I was a cloistered sister, doesn't mean I believe in everything the Chantry says or does. While there may be some evil mages who need constant guarding, to lock everyone up who has been gifted with magic is absurd. It was my faith in the Maker that kept me at the Chantry, not the Chantry itself."

"I prefer your ideas to those of the Chantry," Jayden said, his respect for the former sister growing in leaps and bounds.

"Thank you," the redhead said happily.

"You do make a good point," Ashlyn directed towards Leliana. "In the Dalish clans, our keepers have magical abilities. They are most trusted and honored amongst the elves. We do not fear them as it seems the shemlen do."

"You know, I noticed that at Ostagar, too. Some of the soldiers acted different towards me once they learned I was a mage. It was like they would avoid me at all costs." Jayden was contemplative for a moment before continuing. "But anyway, to answer your original question Leliana, I love being free of the Chantry. To be able to come and go as I please, and to not have to follow so many ridiculous rules… I can't describe how it makes me feel. And yet, I am happy to be going back. I miss my friends, and I am eager to share my stories of the outside world."

"When do you think we will get there?" Leliana asked.

"We may be able to reach Lake Calenhad Docks by tomorrow evening," Jayden answered. "There is an inn there called The Spoiled Princess which we may be able to stop at overnight before we go on to the Circle." He then proceeded to let out a loud yawn that caught Ashlyn's attention.

"It sounds like we are going to have a long day of traveling ahead of us. Leliana, do you want to split watch with me tonight? I think Jayden needs to catch up on sleep," she said throwing a wink at Jayden.

Jayden noticed Leliana's expression falter for just a moment before she replied, "Sure. I'll take first watch."

"Great. I am off to get some rest then," the elf said standing up. "Come on Arrow," she called to the wolf as she made her way towards her tent.

Jayden wasn't sure how to fill the awkward silence that Ashlyn's departure had left. _I know I should go to bed, but there is so much more about Leliana I wish to discover._ Wanting to learn about her past, he asked, "So what was a beautiful, charming woman like yourself doing in Lothering's Chantry?"

"Flatterer," she said with a small blush that Jayden found quite adorable.

"No, really, I am… curious about you."

"Curious? About little ole me? There is nothing special about me," she said lowering her eyes.

"I disagree with you there. I can tell by your accent that you are not from around these parts, and I have never known a Chantry sister to wield weapons the way you do." Jayden continued on in a softer voice, "Plus, I genuinely wish to get to know you better. Please, tell me about yourself?"

Leliana looked back up and met his gaze. Jayden waited patiently for the redhead to decide whether or not to trust him.

"Oh, alright." She stood up and started walking around the fire. "My accent is Orlesian. I was a traveling minstrel in Orlais. Tales and songs were my life. I found myself traveling in Ferelden a couple years ago and was sheltered from bad weather in the Lothering Chantry. I chose to stay and become affirmed. And as for my skills in battle… well, you pick up different skills when you travel, yes?"

"Well, not that I have ever really traveled, but I can see how you could. I mean, I left the Circle not more than a month ago, and I have already battled Loghain's soldiers in Lothering, bandits on the road, and darkspawn at Ostagar. If that doesn't hone your skills, nothing would."

Leliana stopped her walking and laughed. "Oh dear, you have been busy. Someday, when this Blight is over, you will have to travel leisurely and see this beautiful land that is Ferelden."

Jayden pushed himself to his feet and looked down at the little redhead. "Maybe you could go with me? After all, I would need a tour guide, and I can think of no one better than a beautiful, traveling minstrel."

"Maybe…" Leliana said before shaking her head and frowning. "You should get some sleep. Like Ashlyn said, we have a long day tomorrow."

Jayden wondered what he said that made her pull away from him. He offered her a quiet, "Goodnight", and made his way towards his tent. He thought they were getting along so well. After all, she was finally starting to open up to him. He had a nagging suspicion though that there was much more to Leliana's story than was said.

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - - -

They had traveled nearly non-stop the following day, and Jayden was quite relieved when Lake Calenhad Docks finally came into view that evening. As they descended the hill towards The Spoiled Princess Inn, he could see the Circle Tower across the lake, standing tall and proud. He couldn't look at it without remembering his final hours there... Jowan's betrayal with blood magic. He supposed he also betrayed his fellow mage by going to First Enchanter Irving about Jowan's plans of escape, but that hadn't been his original intention of going to Irving. Jayden had been beside himself with anger when he learned that Jowan was to be made tranquil against his will. His friend had recently fallen in love with a Chantry initiate and knew he would no longer be able to feel for her as he did once he was tranquil. In fact, he would have no emotions at all. Jayden had gone to the First Enchanter to plead on Jowan's behalf, but Irving had known about Jowan's dabbling in blood magic, something Jayden never thought his friend capable of doing. As much as it hurt, Jayden trusted Irving and followed his orders that brought about the events leading to Jowan's escape and his own induction into the Grey Wardens.

He hadn't realized how lost in his memories he had been until he was sitting down for dinner at the inn with his female companions.

"Jayden, are you okay?" Leliana asked breaking through his reverie.

"Huh?" he responded looking up from his meal.

"I asked if you were all right. You seem a little distracted," she said in a friendly, concerned manner.

"Yeah, you have been really quiet since we got here," Ashlyn added.

He released a sigh before answering. "Oh, sorry about that. I have just been thinking about the last time I was here... before Duncan took me away to join the Wardens."

Leliana pushed her food away and leaned towards him from across the table. "Will you tell us about it? I have been wondering how you became a Grey Warden. I was under the impression that the Circle didn't let its mages get away."

"Well, it certainly wasn't like the templars were waving and cheering as I walked down to the ferry." He gave them an abbreviated version of the events leading to his departure from the Tower. Ashlyn just listened politely as she had heard most of the story before back in Ostagar, but Leliana gave him her complete attention. He enjoyed watching the expressions play across her face as she listened. She had a dreamy look in her eyes when he spoke of Jowan risking everything to run away with his love. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger when she learned that Jowan had been experimenting with blood magic, and she smiled when he explained how Duncan had gotten him not only out of trouble, but also out of the Tower. _Maker, but this girl does love a good story._

The redhead chuckled once he was finished. "Lucky for you Duncan was there, yes?"

"Yep, he was a real life saver," Jayden answered.

"Yes, he was," Ashlyn stated quietly, drawing both his and Leliana's interest.

Jayden had been waiting to hear the elf's history ever since Ostagar when she had told him that she wouldn't be alive if Duncan hadn't found her. He knew she had to have been through something horrible. He remembered hearing her crying from his tent on her first night in the camp.

"Well, we know how Jayden was inducted into the Grey Wardens. Would you mind sharing your story too?" Leliana asked Ashlyn.

"You don't have to if you aren't ready to talk about it yet," Jayden added. He didn't want to pressure his friend into talking about something that most likely going to cause her a great deal of pain.

"No, it's all right. I think it may help to talk about it." The dark-haired elf then launched into her story about how her world was turned upside down by a Tevinter mirror.

If Jayden had thought Leliana had enjoyed his story, then she must have been mesmerized by Ashlyn's. And Jayden couldn't blame her for it. Ashlyn's tale was full of suspense and mystery which ultimately ended in tragedy. Hearing how Ashlyn's final hours had been spent with her Dalish clan was heart-wrenching. She had lost nearly as much as Arianna.

"The Grey Wardens helped me to survive the taint, and I have been given the chance to avenge Tamlen. I will always be grateful that Duncan found me when he did." Ashlyn wiped a stray tear from her face and stood up. "I think I am going to go for a walk by the lake to clear my head."

"Would you like some company?" Leliana offered. "I know several tales I can distract you with, or we can just walk quietly."

Ashlyn looked like she was going to refuse at first, but then changed her mind. "Sure, that would be nice."

The two women looked at Jayden.

"You ladies go on ahead. I will take care of the tab and get us a room for the night."

"Thanks Jayden. See you later," Leliana called over her shoulder as she escorted Ashlyn outside.

Jayden glanced at his feet to where Arrow was laying. The wolf returned his look for a moment before taking off after the women. _Good girl_, Jayden thought. He knew his companions could take care of themselves, but there were some shady male patrons hanging around The Spoiled Princess that evening. It put his mind at ease that his friends would have Arrow's added protection.

His thoughts shifted back to the Circle Tower and his impending return tomorrow. He was surprised by how much he was looking forward to it. _It's funny. I never thought I would want to see that place again after being locked up there nearly my whole life, but the mages there were my family before I became a Grey Warden. I guess no matter how bad things had been when I left, it still feels like home. _

- - - - - Outside with Ashlyn - - - - -

Ashlyn walked silently beside Leliana with Arrow trailing them on the shore of Lake Calenhad. It was peaceful there with the gentle lapping of the waves and the way the moonlight reflected off the water. She was grateful that the late night stroll was helping to calm her mind and her heart. Talking about Tamlen had been difficult, but she was glad her friends now knew her history. Keeping it bottled up inside had been killing her, and having her friends be aware of her past meant that she could share her burden with them now.

She stopped beside a large boulder for a moment to look out across the lake at the Tower. Releasing a deep sigh, she moved back and hopped up into a sitting position atop the large rock. She noticed that Leliana did not stop moving with her. Instead, the former sister took to pacing along the shore. So far, the redhead had kept her promise about not speaking, allowing Ashlyn the time to get her thoughts back in order. Watching the way Leliana walked back and forth in front of her though made the elf wonder if there was something troubling her fellow rogue.

Leliana must have realized she was being watched because she suddenly stopped her repetitive movement and met Ashlyn's gaze.

"I know I agreed to be quiet, but I have actually wanted to talk with you alone for a while now. I know now isn't necessarily the best time-"

"It's okay," Ashlyn interrupted. "I think I am ready for a distraction now anyway," she said with a half smile. "So what is on your mind?"

"Well, it actually concerns Jayden…" Leliana mumbled.

The elf's smile widened. "What about him?"

"I couldn't help but notice the way Morrigan kissed him before our group split up, and everyone saw her drag him away a couple nights ago after dinner. I guess I'm just curious about the nature of their relationship. Is it serious?"

_So it is exactly as I thought. Leliana is attracted to Jayden. _Ashlyn paused for a moment before responding. "I think it would be serious if Morrigan would let it, but from what Jayden has told me, they are just friends with benefits. It is the only type of relationship he has ever had since he grew up in the Tower. Jayden told us that the mages of the Circle of Magi are forbidden to fall in love and have families."

"Oh, I see," the redhead responded. "Why is he settling for friends with benefits when he could have a real relationship now that he is free? It is sad, no?"

"Yeah, it is. Maybe he will change his mind about her and decide he wants a real go at love sometime."

"Perhaps," Leliana replied wistfully. "It's getting late. Are you ready to head back to the inn?

"I think so. Jayden is probably wondering where we are by now anyway. Let's head back and get some rest for our journey to the Circle Tower tomorrow."

- - - - - The Next Morning with Ashlyn - - - - -

Jayden had gotten the girls up bright and early. They walked down to the docks to catch the ferry across Lake Calenhad. Jayden explained on the way that the ferryman was a very nice man named Kester who had named his boat Lissie after his grand mum. Ashlyn could tell he was excited about going home. _I would be too if I was heading back to the Brecilian Forest. _

Ashlyn nearly ran into Jayden's back when he stopped abruptly in front of her.

"That isn't Kester running the ferry," he said suspiciously. "Why is there a templar in charge of the boat now?"

"You! You're not looking to get across to the Tower, are you?" the templar said when he noticed their arrival. "Because I have strict orders not to let anyone pass."

"Why? What is going on at the tower?" Jayden asked concerned.

The templar crossed his arms and responded. "That's none of your business. All you need to know is that the Circle of Magi is not accepting visitors at this time."

"Look, if the Circle is in trouble, we can help. Just ferry us across," Jayden tried reasoning.

"No! I've one job, and one job only, and by the Maker's shiny gold cutlery, I will do it!"

"You have got to be kidding," Ashlyn said under her breath. "Another annoying shem?"

"I'll take care of this," Jayden stated stepping in front of his female companions. He reached his bag and pulled the treaty that had been made between the Grey Wardens and the Circle of Magi.

He held the document out to the templar and said, "We are traveling to the Circle Tower to gain the assistance of the mages in defeating the Blight."

The templar glanced at the scroll. "Oh, a Grey Warden seal. And you expect me to believe you are Wardens? You know, I have some documents, too. They say I'm the Queen of Antiva. What do you think of that?"

"Aren't queens female?" Leliana asked drawing attention to herself.

"Don't question royalty!" he retorted.

Ashlyn noticed the templar was looking at the former sister a little too suggestively. Jayden must have realized that fact also because he moved in front of Leliana to block her from the templar's view once more.

"We are Wardens," Jayden said tightly.

"That's impossible. Everyone knows the Wardens were wiped out at Ostagar," the templar said.

"I'm a mage. Knight Commander Greagoir could verify that I am indeed a Grey Warden. Will you just take us to talk to him? Please," he added as an afterthought.

"Well, I suppose we might be able to come to some arrangement. That redhead there at the back… she doesn't need to go to the tower, does she? Because it gets a little lonely out here sometimes and you know, you could leave her with me-"

"Absolutely not!" Jayden exclaimed. "She stays with us."

Ashlyn wasn't sure who was more surprised… Leliana and herself by Jayden's show of protectiveness or the templar by the crackle of electrical energy that was suddenly flowing through their mage companion.

The templar let out an audible gulp. "Err… you do realize I am a templar. Your magic has no effect on me."

"Yes, but would you like to bet on if you can dispel my magic before I fry your ass?" Jayden threatened.

Ashlyn had known that Jayden had cast a barrier spell on Leliana to keep her safe back at Danal's Tavern in Lothering. The way he was acting now was just more of a confirmation that he cared for the former Chantry sister. _Things should get interesting when Morrigan realizes how he feels about our friendly redhead_. Pushing the thought from her mind, Ashlyn refocused on the situation at hand, a situation that was quickly spiraling out of control.

Deciding she had kept quiet long enough, Ashlyn spoke up. "You may be able to neutralize Jayden's power, but do you think you can take on the rest of us by yourself." She gave the templar a moment to glance around at the weapons they were carrying before she continued, "You know, I kind of hope you do. Arrow could use a new chew toy."

Arrow's hackles rose, and she let out a snarling growl at Ashlyn's last words.

Apparently she had made her point because the templar started to speak, "I… oh, all right. I will take you all across, but only because I think that mage is dangerous and Knight Commander Greagoir should be made aware of that fact."

Jayden drew his magic back into himself. "Fine, I will gladly talk to Greagoir if it gives me the chance to talk to First Enchanter Irving."

As they boarded the boat, Ashlyn saw that the male mage kept Leliana at his side the entire time. She also noticed that the former sister had an awe-struck look in her eyes. _I hope he changes his mind about Morrigan. I think Leliana would be better for him anyway. _


	8. Chapter 8  The Circle of Magi

A/N: ==Pokes head out from under rock== So I have been pretty occupied with moving the last couple months, which has been very exciting (and a lot of work). With winter approaching and things starting to settle down, I will hopefully be able to get back to focusing on this story. Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Circle of Magi

The boat ride across the lake had been tense and silent until Leliana lightened the mood with one of her random comments that Jayden found quite endearing.

"The Circle Tower is so tall… the view from the top must be spectacular!" she said excitedly.

Jayden leaned in to whisper to the pretty redhead, "I'll see if the First Enchanter will allow me to take you up there to look around."

The smile she gifted him with was probably the only thing that could distract him at the moment. _That girl could get me to do just about anything when she smiles like that_, he thought before focusing back on the task at hand. _Something big must be going down at the Tower. Why else would the templars close the ferry down?_

By the time they reached the shore, Jayden was thoroughly worried. He leapt from the boat, only stopping for a second to give a hand to Leliana and Ashlyn, before setting off quickly for the thick, imposing doors leading inside the Tower. _Please let everyone be okay_, he prayed silently.

He pushed the heavy doors aside and walked into the foyer. The first thing he noticed was that there were templars moving around everywhere. He had no idea why so many of them were down here at the entrance and not spread out on duty through the Tower like normal. After a second of scanning the crowd, he saw Knight Commander Greagoir right in the middle of all the chaos.

He could hear orders being shouted as he pushed his way through the templars to reach the Knight Commander.

"… and I want two men stationed within sight of the doors at all times. Do not open the doors without my express consent. Is that clear?"

"What is going on here?" Jayden asked drawing the Knight Commander's attention.

"How-" Greagoir began.

"Sorry sir!" the templar from the ferry interrupted as he rushed his way towards them. He had been delayed due to docking the boat. "They said they were Grey Wardens and forced me to bring them across. I only agreed sir because that mage is dangerous!" he explained while pointing towards Jayden.

"It's okay Carroll. This mage is a Grey Warden… I will talk with him. Go on back to your station," Greagoir said.

The templar was visibly shocked by the Knight Commander's words. "But…"

Greagoir sent the young templar a sharp look. "That's an order."

"Yes sir," Carroll replied meekly and turned to go back outside.

"Now, why would he think you are dangerous Jayden?" Greagoir asked.

"Because he wanted some alone time with one of my companions, and I didn't approve," Jayden answered tightly.

"I see," the Knight Commander said finally noticing the redhead, elf, and wolf traveling with the mage. His expression darkened. "I will deal with Carroll later." He refocused his attention on Jayden. "I thought you were dead. We heard about what happened at Ostagar."

"It isn't so easy to get rid of me," Jayden replied.

"Yes, that much is apparent," Greagoir stated dryly reminding Jayden that their last meeting hadn't gone so smoothly. In fact, the templar had wanted Jayden sent the mages' prison, Aeonar.

Too concerned with the current situation to start a fight about the past, Jayden pressed on. "What is going on here?" he repeated.

"We are dealing with a situation that doesn't concern you, 'Grey Warden'," Greagoir responded.

"I am still a mage, and this tower is my home. I want to know what's happened," Jayden demanded.

When the Knight Commander realized that the mage wasn't going to take no for an answer, he decided to explain. "I shall speak plainly… the Tower is no longer under our control. Abominations and demons stalk the Tower's halls."

"How… how did this happen?" Jayden asked stunned.

Greagoir eyes softened slightly at the obviously upset mage. It appeared the man had a heart after all. "We don't know. We saw only demons hunting templars and mages alike."

Leliana placed a comforting hand on Jayden's shoulder at the same time Ashlyn spoke up. "Why is everyone out here then? Shouldn't you be fighting to regain the Tower right now?"

"We cannot defeat these monstrous creatures on our own. There are too many," Greagoir explained. "I have sent word to Denerim calling for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment."

Jayden had been frozen in disbelief until these last words were spoken. Specifically the words 'Right of Annulment' got his blood pumping like nothing would. "What? How can you think of annulling the entire Circle?"

"Excuse me, but could someone explain what this 'Right of Annulment' is?" Leliana asked confused.

Her light touch had a calming effect on him which was probably the only reason he was able to answer rationally. "The Right of Annulment gives the templars the authority to kill every mage in this Tower."

Both Ashlyn and Leliana gasped at his explanation.

"Surely not all the mages have been overtaken," Leliana reasoned.

"If any are still alive, then the Maker himself has shielded them then. No one could have survived the evil that is dwelling within," the Knight Commander said sadly.

"Let me go inside. I will look for survivors," Jayden said firmly.

"By yourself?" Greagoir asked incredulously.

Jayden stepped out of Leliana's hold to turn around and face his companions. "I can't ask you to go with me."

Leliana nodded to Ashlyn, and the elf said, "You don't have to. We are coming with you whether you want us to or not." Ashlyn continued on with a vow, "You are a brother to me now Jayden, and I will not leave a brother-in-arms behind again."

"And I cannot just sit here quietly when your life and the lives of innocents are at stake," Leliana added. "Besides, it sounds like you are going to need us."

Gratitude was showing in his eyes when he answered the women with a softly spoken, "Thank you."

He turned back to the Knight Commander, who looked skeptical. "Are you sure about this?" Greagoir asked. "I assure you, an abomination is a force to be reckoned with, and you will face more than one."

"The mages in there are my family. I have to save as many of them as I can. Nothing you can say will change my mind," Jayden said determinedly.

Greagoir released a sigh before responding, "Very well." He gestured for the group to follow him. He continued as they walked across the entrance hall, "A word of caution then… once you cross that threshold, there is no turning back. The doors must remain barred. I will open them for no one until I have proof that it is safe. I will only believe it is over if the First Enchanter stands before me and tells me it is so. If Irving has fallen… then the Circle is lost and must be destroyed."

He halted their progress once they reached the large double doors leading to the rest of the tower. The Knight Commander motioned for the guards to let Jayden and his companions pass before stating, "May Andraste lend you her courage, for you are going to need it." With these final words, the doors were slammed shut and locked behind them.

Nothing could have prepared Jayden for the sight that greeted him on the other side of the doors, a sight which took his breath away and made his heart fall into his stomach. The lifeless bodies of mages and templars were scattered about down the hallway. Those responsible for this senseless slaughter cared not for gender, race, or age, and Jayden was afraid this image before him would now compete with the darkspawn for center stage of his nightmares at night.

"Merciful Maker," Leliana whispered.

Knowing now was not the time for mourning, Jayden steeled his resolve. "Let's get moving."

He swiftly led his companions through the apprentice quarters. Bunk beds had been knocked over, and the contents of chests and closets had been strewn haphazardly everywhere. They searched every room, but they found no survivors. At least the same could be said about abominations.

They continued down the hall to find the first closed door they had encountered since they had been locked in. As they approached the door, several screams sounded in the next room. Without hesitation, Jayden charged through to find an older woman protecting a group of mages by battling against an inflamed rage demon. With a skill that only a senior mage could possess, she let loose an impressive arcane bolt that demolished the fire demon before her.

As she turned to face them, Jayden recognized the powerful, white-haired mage. "Wynne? Thank goodness you are okay!"

"Jayden, you returned?" Wynne asked surprised.

"Yeah, and thankfully not too late," he said looking around at the other mages in the room. He noticed Ashlyn had picked up a young female elf, and was clutching the small crying mage to her in a tight hug. Jayden turned his attention back to Wynne. "What happened here?"

"Let it suffice to say that we had something of a revolution on our hands, led by a mage named Uldred," Wynne began. "When he returned from the battle at Ostagar, he tried to take over the Circle. As you can see, it didn't work out as he had planned."

"There isn't going to be a Circle left for Uldred to rule if we don't stop the templars from annulling it," Jayden whispered to Wynne, not wanting to alarm the rest of the mages.

"They have the Right of Annulment?" she asked quietly.

"Not yet, but Greagoir has sent for it," Jayden answered. "He will only stop the assault if First Enchanter Irving confirms the tower is safe again. My companions and I are going to clear the Circle and search for Irving and other survivors.

The male mage noticed that Ashlyn had set the small child down and was walking with Leliana across the room towards them. Two other adult female mages also made their way towards the group. Jayden felt it was time to make introductions. "This is Leliana and Ashlyn, and the wolf there is Arrow," Jayden said indicating to each of them in turn.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Wynne said kindly. "Although, I wish it had been under better circumstances. Jayden has told me what you plan to do, but it will not be possible unless I dispel the barrier I erected to block off the interior of the Tower. I will do this if you allow me to join you."

The two unnamed mages looked shocked at the older woman's words, and one of them spoke up, "Wynne, are you sure you're all right? You were so badly hurt earlier. Maybe I should come along?"

"No Petra. You and Kinnon must stay here to protect the others," Wynne instructed. "I will be alright."

Jayden took a moment to really study the white-haired woman. She did look flushed and slightly out of breath, as if she had been conjuring powerful spells for hours on end. "I don't know Wynne… perhaps you should sit this one out."

"Absolutely not young man. The only way you are going to get through that barrier into the Tower is if I go with you," Wynne said adamantly.

Leliana, always the peacemaker, said, "Then let us not waste time. We have much to do and little time to do it." The redhead withdrew a small sword at the same time Ashlyn pulled out her twin daggers.

"Very well. Let's get going." Jayden had noticed his companions' choice of weapons. While both women were natural archers, they had chosen blades for the impending battle as they now had two mages to protect.

Wynne pulled her magical energy tightly inside herself before releasing it at the barrier. When it had disappeared, the group pushed forward into the hallway leading towards the library.

"Now that the barrier is gone, we must be thorough in slaying any fiends we meet on our way to ensure the safety of the other mages," Wynne announced.

"No problem with that," Jayden responded.

They had just arrived in the library when the wardens and former Chantry sister encountered their first abomination. Standing over eight feet tall with distorted features, the hideous creature truly was the stuff of nightmares. Before Jayden could react, Leliana was charging the foe. She lithely ducked under the creature's attempt to stab her with its claws before plunging her sword up under its ribcage through its heart. She brought her right leg up to kick the abomination to the ground and extract her weapon.

If the bloody scene of the fallen Circle mages and templars would serve as material for Jayden's nightmares, then the replayed scene of Leliana's graceful fighting would be the stuff of his daydreams. _Peaceful chantry sister my ass, _Jayden thought. He was so distracted by the little redhead, that he missed the second abomination rounding the corner. Luckily, Ashlyn's survivor skills kicked in, and she threw both her daggers at the creature before it could attack anyone in their party.

It seemed like an easy confrontation until the abomination that Leliana had killed burst into flames. The explosion was so powerful that it sent Leliana flying back against a bookshelf.

"Holy Maker! What was that?" Leliana asked from the floor as Jayden rushed to her side to help her up. She had burns on her arms from when she had brought them up to protect her face from the blast.

"That is what happens when an abomination is destroyed," Wynne answered. She then proceeded to whisper a soft incantation and her staff let off a soft green glow. The burns on Leliana's arms magically disappeared.

The little redhead looked to Jayden in disbelief. "Ooh, my arms do not hurt at all now."

Jayden nodded his thanks to Wynne and announced, "Wynne is a spirit healer, probably the most skilled in all of the Circle."

"You flatter me young man, but you could have been a great healer too if you had applied yourself," Wynne lightly scolded.

"What? And not have developed my awesome offensive abilities that can turn darkspawn into crispy critters… I think not," Jayden said with a smile.

The loud explosion of the second abomination refocused the group. As they made their way through the library, they had to fight against several more abominations and a rage demon that was even larger and more vicious than the one the Wardens and Leliana had first witnessed Wynne battling. The white-haired mage's healing magic was felt by everyone by the time they defeated it and reached the stairs leading up to the second floor.

This next floor brought about the discovery of Owain and Godwin. They found the tranquil, Owain, cleaning in the stockroom, and Godwin, a regular mage, was later found hiding in a closet. While one was not bothered at all by the attack and was the perfect picture of calm as he proceeded to turn chests upright and arrange potions back onto shelves, the other was so afraid he refused to leave his hiding spot to get to safety.

At least Owain had been able to give them a little more insight as to what was going on. A mage named Niall had been searching for the Litany of Andralla, which could only mean one thing… blood mages were in the tower.

"Blood mages? As if we didn't have enough problems with the abominations and demons," Jayden said tensely as they traveled through the senior mage quarters.

"I don't understand," Ashlyn spoke up. "How do blood mages make the situation worse?"

"Blood magic is evil," Jayden answered. "The knowledge of how to gain the powerful dark magic can only be obtained by contacting a demon. The magic itself is conjured by sacrificing the life force of the caster or that of another person… willing or not."

Wynne further explained. "Going up against a maleficar is dangerous. The blood mage has the ability to take over your free will. That is why Niall was searching for the Litany of Andralla. When recited, it can disrupt the casting of mind control spells used by the blood mages."

It was shortly after that conversation that they found three blood mages battling another rage demon. When one maleficar noticed their presence, he sent a fireball straight toward Jayden and his companions. With lightening quick reflexes, Jayden put a barrier up around them for protection. He missed the look Leliana sent his way as he conjured up a paralysis spell to stop the blood mage from attempting any mind control spells. That was Ashlyn and Arrow's cue to attack.

_Those two make quite an impressive team, _Jayden thought while watching how the wolf covered Ashlyn's blindside while she spun and sliced with her daggers. Leliana had exchanged her bow for her sword while the blood mages were distracted. When Jayden realized her intention was to shoot the fire demon from afar, he enchanted her arrows with ice.

"Nice touch," Leliana said after she released two arrows at the flaming monster.

With the addition of an arcane bolt from Wynne, the rage demon was defeated.

Jayden returned his attention to see how Ashlyn and Arrow had fared. Out of the original three, there was only one blood mage still alive. As he approached his fellow Warden, he could hear the female maleficar begging not to be killed. She swore that she would do something good with her life if only they would let her go.

Jayden shared a meaningful glance with Wynne before turning the blood mage loose. "Enough mages have died here today," he said in a somber tone.

Before they went upstairs to the third level, they stopped at a large room filled with books and a beautiful ornate desk at its center.

"These are First Enchanter Irving's quarters," Jayden stated before watching Ashlyn and Leliana wonder around the room. His heart felt heavy with worry about the elder mage. _He is the closest thing to a father I have_, Jayden thought sadly.

Wynne, who had stayed by his side, interrupted his musings. "Irving told me about how you became a Grey Warden and that unpleasant incident that occurred prior to your departure from the Circle."

"Jowan was a fool. And yet, I wish it hadn't turned out the way it did. He was my friend."

Wynne placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That's not something either of us can alter, so it is best to put it behind you. But that aside, you are a Grey Warden now, and perhaps I presume too much by saying this, but the Circle is proud of you. I know Irving is. He couldn't hide the sparkle in his eye when he spoke of you. Do not lose hope Jayden… we will find him."

"Thanks Wynne," he said before calling out to the rest of the group. "Let's get going. The First Enchanter is counting on us."

They raced up to the third floor only to stumble upon a room full of corpses that became animated as they walked through the room. If that wasn't bad enough, an arcane horror showed up, and threw tons of nasty spells at Jayden and his companions while they were trying to deal with the shambling skeletons. He wasn't sure they would have been able to defeat it without Arrow there to distract and keep the arcane horror off balance.

Further along the third floor, they were confronted by templars who had been charmed and possessed by a desire demon.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I hate self-important, Chantry-loving, tight -ass templars?" Jayden asked while bringing up his staff to block a sword strike from a possessed templar.

Ashlyn completed a fatal backstab before answering, "Alistair excluded, right?"

"Oh, if only that bastard was here with us," Jayden replied before starting to laugh. "Hey, I can really get away with calling him that now."

Jayden noticed Leliana fighting back a smile as she walked away from the desire demon that she had just beheaded. She ended up losing that battle and gave the male mage a full-out grin. "I am sure Alistair would be happy to know he is being so well thought of while away from us."

"I won't tell if you won't," Jayden whispered in the redhead's ear as she walked past him towards the room at the end of the hall.

The former sister looked back and said with a wink, "We'll see."

The room Leliana walked into was filled with abominations, shade demons, and more shambling skeletons. She yelped in surprise which kicked the Wardens and Wynne into action. They were breathless but victorious after the ensuing fight.

"Jayden, I'm having flashbacks of the Tower of Ishal," Ashlyn panted as they stopped for a moment to rest before finding out what the fourth floor had to offer.

Jayden chuckled. "I know what you mean. Just trade these abominations for darkspawn and it's déjà vu, right?"

"Let's just hope we have a better outcome at this Tower," the elf responded.

Jayden agreed with a nod. "Yeah, because if there is a giant ogre at the top of this thing, then I am going to have to learn the animate dead spirit spell."

"And why is that?" Wynne asked with a raised eyebrow.

"So we can kill this Uldred character twice for putting us through this," he answered laughing.

"Youth," Wynne muttered under her breath while taking the lead up to the next floor.

Finding a sloth demon waiting for them was the last thing Jayden expected. He and his companions valiantly struggled against the demon's mind control, but it was no use. One by one, they fell into the darkness of the fade…

- - - - - In the Fade with Ashlyn - - - - -

Floating. That was how Ashlyn felt, like she was floating into nothingness. Everything was black. Smell was the first of her senses to return to her. She could discern the scent of wildflowers, but there was another scent that was as familiar and as it was comforting… and distinctly male.

She could hear the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees. _The forest, but weren't we in the Circle Tower?_ Ashlyn was thoroughly confused. She knew she needed to get up and figure out how she got back outside. With monumental effort, the elf forced her eyes open and looked around at her surroundings.

She realized she was indeed laying under a willow tree in a forest that reminded her so much of her home that it made her heart ache. If that wasn't enough to startle her, she discovered she wasn't alone. On either side of her body were two legs bent at the knees, and another's arms were folded across her chest enveloping her in a loose embrace.

Understanding dawned on the elf. _This is where the male scent is coming from_. Ashlyn yelped in surprise and made an attempt to jump up.

"Whoa there, lethallan," a disturbingly familiar voice sounded from behind her as he held tight to keep her from escaping his grasp.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Ashlyn demanded frightened.

"It's okay Ashlyn. It's me… Tamlen."

She turned in his arms and gasped. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "But you're dead."

The male elf gave her a gentle smile. "That must have been some nightmare you were having. You have been out for quite awhile. Do you remember hunting earlier, and the shemlen we discovered?"

"Yes, they told us about the caves. And we went there, and you never left…" Ashlyn couldn't hold the sobs back at this point.

Tamlen pulled her into his body for a hug. He ran his hands soothingly up and down her back as she cried her heart out. "Shh lethallan. I'm here… I'm alive. There were no caves. They were just trying to stall for time by distracting us with a story. We thought there were only three humans, but there was a fourth out in the woods. He snuck up from behind and struck you in the back of the head. You went down and haven't been awake until now."

"You mean," Ashlyn hiccupped, "that it was all a bad dream?"

"That is exactly what I mean," he responded.

Ashlyn felt unbridled joy rise up in her chest. Happiness she never expected to feel again surfaced with the relief that Tamlen was fine and back in her arms. Without hesitation, she returned his hug, relishing at the feeling of being in his arms again.

She pulled back to look in his eyes. "I am so glad that it was just a nightmare and that you are okay. It was unbearable believing that you were dead."

"Everything's okay, lethallan. In fact it's better than okay. Fenarel showed up when I was fighting the shemlen. He helped me defeat them and then went off to get Keeper Marethari. We talked when you were unconscious. I told her everything… even from before with the visiting clan. Ashlyn, she gave us her blessing!" he said excitedly.

_Could this possibly be true? Everything I have always wanted is happening. Tamlen and I can finally have our binding ceremony and begin our life together. _Ashlyn was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the male elf run his hands down her sides, skin that was exposed as her Dalish armor didn't cover her midriff. His fingers continued their path down under her thighs and securely lifted her onto his lap. This position allowed no room for doubt just how ready he was for their joining.

_Tamlen's never been so forward before… he always wanted to wait until after the ceremony._

He kept his gaze locked with hers as he caressed her thighs and slowly started to lean in. Nearby growling interrupted them before their lips could meet. Ashlyn turned away from him to determine the source of the disturbance. A beautiful grey forest wolf was staring at her intently.

"Arrow? What are you doing here?" Ashlyn asked the wolf.

"Friend of yours?" he asked.

"Yes, but I didn't meet her until after I was rescued from the cave… after you were gone." She stood up and walked over to the wolf. _Something doesn't feel right._

Arrow gave a small wine and licked her palm before Ashlyn started to gently stroke the fur along the wolf's back.

The male elf stood up but did not join Ashlyn with her wolf. "Maybe you just became acquainted with the wolf recently, before the hunt, and that is how she got incorporated into your dreams."

"Maybe…" Ashlyn wanted to accept his words. It felt so good to have him back in her life, but it didn't make sense. _Duncan was with me when I released Arrow from that spring trap, wasn't he?_

"Come back over here. We can continue where we left off," he said while opening his arms wide.

Still not convinced everything was as it seemed, Ashlyn chose her words carefully. "I had better not. My head is hurting from being hit by that shem."

"Yes, you are lucky there isn't permanent damage," a voice said through the trees.

Ashlyn was surprised to see that the voice belonged to Keeper Marethari. Merrill, Fenarel, and her godmother Ashalle were walking behind her. Arrow started growling again at the approaching elves.

"It's okay girl," she said soothingly to the wolf.

"Our Keeper speaks the truth," Tamlen said. "You gave me a real scare. You must promise to stay with me… always."

_Why doesn't this feel right? I recognize their faces, but what about everything that happened with the Grey Wardens? What about all those poor mages in the Circle Tower?_ Ashlyn realized she was trembling as her clansmen formed a half circle around her and Arrow.

"Ashlyn!" another familiar voice called out. "Ashlyn, snap out of it!"

She looked behind her to see Jayden running towards her. "Jayden, what are you doing here in the Brecilian Forest?"

"We aren't in your homeland. This is the fade, Ashlyn. You have to fight this and wake up!" the male mage demanded as he arrived at her side.

_What my friend says makes sense, but if I believe him, then that means my Tamlen is still dead. _She looked back at the male elf who resembled her lost love. _I don't care. I lost him once, and I refuse to lose him again. _She started to walk away from her fellow Warden and Arrow towards the elves.

"Ashlyn, they are showing you what would make you the happiest to keep you here. They are just demons in disguise… not the ones you love." In a softer voice Jayden said, "Your Tamlen is dead Ashlyn. Staying here will not avenge him."

His words caused her to stop and turn back towards him. Tears were rolling down her face as she whispered, "I know."

"Well, aren't you inconvenient," the elf who resembled Tamlen said. "We were making her happy without you. Why don't you and that silly wolf leave and never come back."

"I'm not going anywhere without my sister," Jayden replied.

Ashlyn's heart lightened at his words. _We Wardens really are a family, and my new family is counting on me._ She looked at the faces of her beloved elves one last time before stepping towards the male mage.

"Now we can't have that," the Keeper Marethari look-a-like said before attacking along with the rest of the imposters.

Ashlyn was grateful her weapons hadn't been removed since she had entered the fade. Jayden conjured the same barrier around both her and Arrow that he had cast around Leliana in Lothering. It prevented the masquerading demons from laying a finger on any of them. The Ashalle, Merrill, and Fenarel imposters fell first. As Ashlyn turned to face off against her next opponent, she saw Jayden getting ready to release a powerful lightening spell at the demon which looked like Keeper Marethari. She was getting ready to help Jayden with the "Keeper" when she noticed that the charlatan portraying Tamlen had his bow out with two arrows locked onto her fellow Warden. Knowing what she was about to do would haunt her forever, she took a deep breath… and let her daggers fly.


	9. Chapter 9 Traveling to Redcliffe

A/N: So, I know it has been forever since I have updated. I have had quite the year. It started with writer's block, then Dragon Age 2 came out, then my mother got really sick and was hospitalized for a couple weeks and I spent the next month helping her out as much as I could. I have also taken an online class that will help me get a certification for my job. And let's not forget that a couple months ago I had to have my fourth back surgery in ten years. The good news is that my back is pretty much back to normal, well as normal as it can be for me that is, and my mother is doing great. I am going to try my best to get updates out more frequently... I won't leave this story unfinished!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

* * *

Chapter 9 – Traveling to Redcliffe

_The view is truly spectacular,_ Leliana decided as she looked across Lake Calenhad at sunset from the very top of the Circle Tower. Jayden had made good on his promise to bring her up there. He stood quietly off to her side observing the scenery and lost in his own thoughts. They had been busy the last several days helping the mages and templars put the Circle back in order. Much had been destroyed due to one man's greed. This was the first break they had taken since the battle of the Circle of Magi had ended.

_And what a battle it was… demons, abominations, blood mages. _They were lucky to have survived it, let alone defeat Uldred and win the Tower back for the mages. Not everyone escaped without scars, though. _But the thing to remember about scars is that they are not always visible,_ Leliana thought reflecting on when she was reunited with everyone in the fade.

* * * * * Flashback * * * * *

The sloth demon had trapped each of them in their own individual nightmare. Jayden had somehow broken free from his and was able to learn how to move around to the different realms in the fade. He was the reason they had all made it out alive. When the sloth demon realized he had lost control of his captives, he brought everyone back together to confront them. Ashlyn, Arrow, and Jayden had appeared in front of Leliana and Wynne. The little dark-haired elf was on her knees sobbing into her hands while Jayden did the best he could to comfort her. Leliana had later learned that Ashlyn had been forced to kill a demon disguised as her former love to escape her nightmare. _Demons are horribly cruel creatures. My time in the fade wasn't easy, but at least I didn't have to fight against the faces of family and friends the way Ashlyn did._

Leliana had been tricked into believing she was back in the Chantry praying for peace with the Revered Mother. A strikingly handsome man with auburn hair had appeared out of nowhere expressing his relief that she was safe. She was positive she didn't know who he was, but her body sure seemed to recognize him. Her heart had fluttered and she had unconsciously moved towards the male mage until the Revered Mother had spoken up, reminding her that they were not alone. The Revered Mother had told the man that Leliana needed quiet and solitude.

However, the attractive man had been adamant that Leliana was going to go with him. All it had taken was the mentioning of her dream to bring Leliana back to her senses, the dream that had first convinced Leliana to leave the Chantry and search out the Grey Wardens. The Revered Mother had tried to persuade her to stay, but Leliana was already moving towards the man she then remembered as Jayden. She had been awed by the way he looked at her when she turned to walk towards him.

His expression suddenly changed once Leliana was halfway to him. Without a moment's warning, he struck out with a powerful spell. Leliana turned back to see that the Revered Mother had been paralyzed mid-transformation from elderly woman to a demon.

"Hurry!" he yelled. "I can't hold it much longer!"

_How many times now has he protected me? I swear if we make it though this, I am going to confront him about what is going on between us, _Leliana vowed to herself as she removed her sword and charged the demon. It had been a fast fight that ended with Leliana removing the demon's head.

* * * * * End Flashback * * * * *

Leliana pulled herself from her musings to covertly watch Jayden out of the corner of her eye. _He truly is a wonderful man… someone I could easily fall in love with. _Shaking her head, she refocused her gaze out on the scenery. _Oh, what am I doing? I know better than to trust anyone… but why do I feel like I could be safe with him?_

She had been amazed by Jayden's power when they fought the sloth demon that had trapped them in the fade. Every time the demon shifted into a new form, Jayden would transform himself too. She had been alarmed at first when his skin caught fire and he turned into the burning man, but she soon realized how beneficial his transformations could be when the sloth-turned-rage demon couldn't burn him when he came near. He nearly defeated the sloth demon by himself. Wynne, Ashlyn, and Leliana only aided with ranged attacks when they had clear shots at the demon.

If Leliana had been impressed with Jayden then, it was nothing to how she felt when he stood up to Uldred in the final battle of the Circle of Magi. Uldred was more than just a blood mage; he had become possessed by a very powerful demon. He tried to control everyone through blood magic, but Jayden's reciting of the Litany of Adralla kept everyone from being enslaved by Uldred's mind control. It had been a testament to teamwork when the two Wardens, Leliana, and the mages defeated Uldred and his abominations.

Unfortunately, they couldn't save all the mages. Among those that perished was Niall, who was originally responsible for going to the Circle's storeroom and retrieving the Litany of Adralla from Owain. Niall had also been trapped in the fade, but unlike Leliana and her companions, he had been there too long and the sloth demon had depleted nearly all of his life force. Before they left, Niall asked Jayden to take the Litany from his body and use it to defeat Uldred. Niall never woke up from the fade.

There were many others who didn't survive, but luckily First Enchanter Irving was among those alive at the end of the battle. Although, Leliana had never seen a man so heartbroken. _I know he must feel as if he has failed his mage family, but so many more would be dead if he hadn't been there to protect them._

"What are you thinking about so seriously?" Jayden asked interrupting her reminiscing.

"How lucky we all are to be alive."

Jayden chuckled at her response.

"And speaking of that," Leliana continued, "I have been meaning to ask you something for awhile now. Back when we first met in Lothering, during the fight with Loghain's men, did you place some sort of protection spell on me?"

The mage ducked his head. She could see the beginnings of a blush covering his cheeks.

"Yeah, I did," he replied looking up to meet her gaze. "I thought I was keeping a weak, chantry sister from coming to harm, but it turned out she could handle herself better than most of the men in the King's army."

His compliment caused Leliana's own cheeks to warm.

"How did you figure it out?" he asked.

"When you put up a barrier that protected us from a rage demon's fireball, I realized then that it was your magic I had felt back in Lothering."

"And how does my magic feel?" Jayden asked as he stepped closer to Leliana.

"Like being wrapped in a warm blanket made out of the softest material you can imagine," she replied breathlessly at his nearness. It was a feeling of protection that Leliana had never experienced before. She wondered if it would feel the same just being held in mage's strong arms.

A gust of wind blew some of Leliana's short red hair in her eyes. Jayden lightly brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. "I have never heard it described quite like that before."

Leliana's breath caught as she stared into his mesmerizing green eyes. Just when she thought she was going to give into her emotions and pull the mage down to kiss him to determine if his magic really did feel the same as being intimate with him, Jayden again interrupted her train of thought.

"I saw you talking with Cullen earlier this evening."

Cullen was a templar who had been captured and then tortured by blood mages and demons. Consequently, he developed a huge grudge against all mages. "Oh yes, I was just checking to see how he was doing after his horrid experience," Leliana explained.

"That was incredibly kind of you," Jayden stated, although she could tell he was still a bit upset that Cullen had said all the mages should either be killed or made tranquil since any of them could still be harboring demons inside them.

"No one should ever be tortured," she whispered and dropped her head to look at her 's memories of her own torture came back instantly. _Don't think about it,_ she reminded herself lest she start to cringe, or worse cry.

Jayden gently lifted her chin with his right hand. "You speak from experience?" he asked quietly.

Her expression must have given him his answer because he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Leliana couldn't hold back the tears after that. He just held her while she cried silently. When her tears lessened, he said, "Someday, I hope you can trust me enough to tell me about it."

"I hope I am strong enough someday to talk about it," she said pulling back and wiping her eyes. "Oh, I made your shirt damp. I am so sorry!"

"It's all right Leliana, really," he said drawing her attention back to his face again. He pulled her back into his arms for a comforting hug. "I wish I could have protected you then."

Leliana gulped at the sincerity she heard in his tone as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." _I guess now is as good of time as any to confront him about my feelings. "_Jayden, I have something I need to tell you-"

"Well, well. Isn't this cozy?" a voice interrupted.

Leliana and Jayden turned to see Morrigan approaching, and if looks could kill, Leliana was sure she would be dead.

"Morrigan," Jayden said uncomfortably as he released Leliana and moved to greet the female mage. "How was Redcliffe?"

"It was so much fun that we are heading right back there to try to save an abomination," Morrigan replied dryly.

"What?" Jayden and Leliana asked simultaneously.

"Our noble leader is going to ask the mages for help to save the Arl's son who is possessed by a demon," Morrigan answered. "And if you ask me, I think it is just a big waste of time. Aren't we trying to stop a blight?"

"Yes, and on that note, I am going to go see how our companions are doing," Leliana said to get away from the reunited couple. Leliana looked back before she headed down the tower and instantly wished she hadn't because she saw Morrigan seductively pull Jayden towards her for a kiss. _If only Morrigan hadn't arrived when she had…_

- - - - - With Ashlyn - - - - -

Ashlyn was more than ready to leave the Circle Tower. It wasn't that she didn't want to help the mages and templars restore their home, but she had started to feel imprisoned too. _I don't understand how my elven brethren can stand to be locked up here for their whole lives. _Being Dalish, Ashlyn had always been wanderer and enjoyed her freedom of being able to go wherever she wanted to.

Ashlyn's mind also kept returning to her time in the fade. She knew that it wasn't the real Tamlen in her nightmare, but it didn't make what she had done any easier. Throwing her daggers had been one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. It was a huge relief when Alistair, Arianna, and the others came to retrieve them and get the mages' help for Redcliffe.

Even though the Circle was still in need of repair, First Enchanter Irving readily agreed to travel to Redcliffe to try to save the Arl's son.

"Jayden, Ashlyn, and Leliana have done so much for the Circle. It is the least we could do to help you now," the First Enchanter said after hearing about how the Arl's son became possessed trying to save his father who had been poisoned.

Irving had also pledged to honor the treaty and stand with the Grey Wardens when the time came to fight the darkspawn.

They didn't waste any time before packing up and heading south for Redcliffe. Of course they had to wait for Jayden and Morrigan to resurface before leaving. They also ended up leaving with a new party member. Wynn had asked permission from First Enchanter Irving to accompany the Wardens on their mission to defeat the blight. Being on the receiving end of Wynn's healing magic during the battle of the Circle of Magi made the senior mage a welcome addition in Ashlyn's opinion.

Ashlyn enjoyed catching up with everyone while they traveled, including the stubborn Sten, who didn't understand why they were going out of their way to help this boy when their main objective was to defeat the darkspawn… a sentiment that was also shared by Morrigan. But Ashlyn knew why. It was important to Alistair, and therefore, it had become important to Arianna. It was obvious to the dark-haired elf how much her two fellow Wardens cared about one another. Even Alistair keeping his secret about being the heir to the thrown had not managed to dampen the developing relationship.

Ashlyn, too, couldn't be upset with Alistair for she was now keeping her own secret. During the battle in the Circle Tower, they had briefly stopped in First Enchanter Irving's private quarters. She had noticed a black grimoire lying in a pile of other books and scrolls. There was an open chest nearby that must have once held all the items scattered on the floor. After the battle, Ashlyn couldn't stop thinking about that black grimoire. She knew there was something peculiar about that book, and she wanted to get a more thorough look at it. So when it was time to start cleaning up, she went directly to Irving's quarters. Someone had beaten her there though as the room was already put back in order. She went directly to the chest, but discovered that it was locked. _As if this lock could keep me out, _Ashlyn had thought while quickly pulling two pins out of her hair and going to work on the chest. Once she had it opened, she searched through the chest until she found the black leather bound book with a tree on the cover that she had seen before. A quick glance through the book revealed that Ashlyn didn't understand much of what was written. There was one name that popped out at her though… Flemeth. So Ashlyn decided to keep the black grimoire. The book was now secured in her backpack, and Ashlyn was waiting for an appropriate time to approach Morrigan with it.

The opportune time came later that evening when the Wardens and their companions stopped to make camp. As usual, Morrigan set up her campsite a good distance away from the rest of the group. Ashlyn saw her opening to confront the witch alone when Jayden went to help Wynn set up her tent.

Ashlyn cautiously approached the beautiful, but solitary witch who was busy starting a small campfire.

"And what do I owe for the pleasure of your elven company?" Morrigan asked without looking up from what she doing.

"I have something for you. I am not sure how useful it will be, but then again, I don't understand exactly what is in here," Ashlyn said before handing the book over to Morrigan.

A look of surprise passed over Morrigan's features. "What? You found Flemeth's Grimoire?"

"It was locked away in a chest in First Enchanter's living quarters."

"You are a delightfully sneaky rogue, my friend," Morrigan said as she flipped through the tome's pages. "This grimoire was stolen from Mother by templars when I was a young girl. 'Twas the closest those fools ever came to catching us… Mother was furious that one had gotten away with this book. She would be even angrier to learn that I am now in possession of it."

"Why is that?" Ashlyn asked.

"Mother can be very stingy when it comes to sharing the secrets of her magic," the witch said looking up from the grimoire. "Ever since we discovered the condition of the mage's tower, I had wondered if it might be recoverable… but I had yet to speak of it to anyone. How fortunate that you found it on your own. You have my thanks. I will begin study of the tome immediately."

"You are most welcome." Ashlyn hesitated for a second before continuing. "I am glad there are mages out there like you, who live away from the confinement of the Chantry. I do not understand how those mages stand being imprisoned all their lives."

"Only one as free as the Dalish would have that opinion," Morrigan said with a smile. "Flemeth raised me to respect the Dalish. There is old magic that runs through the elves. And even though you are no mage, you still possess talents and strengths that no city elf could ever have."

Ashlyn was happy to hear the admiration in Morrigan's voice when she spoke of the Dalish. "Thank you, Morrigan. I will leave you so that you can get started on that grimoire."

The witch nodded her head. "I do not intend to squander this opportunity to learn more than Flemeth wished me to know. This should be… interesting."

Ashlyn took off back towards the main camp. Arrow came running up to greet her near the main campfire. It looked like dinner was going to be a little longer so she decided to go lie down and rest until food was ready. As she walked towards her tent, thoughts of Tamlen resurfaced. She realized she needed to put her grief behind her, but it was so hard when just thinking about him made her sad. _And that stupid sloth demon's nightmare didn't help at all with putting the past behind me._

The elf had just reached her tent when a feeling of being watched startled her. She immediately scanned the area before focusing on a large maple tree on the outer edge of their campsite. She watched for any sign of movement, but all she saw were leaves blowing with the wind. _At least whoever or whatever watching us isn't intent on attacking at the moment. _Giving up on finding the presence she sensed, Ashlyn went on into her tent determined to stay alert for the remainder of the trip to Redcliffe.

- - - - - With Jayden - - - - -

Jayden was relieved when Ashlyn went to speak with Morrigan. That meant he had more time to think things over while Morrigan was distracted. _And it looks like she might be distracted for a while_, Jayden thought when he saw the witch eagerly start flipping through the pages of a black leather bound book that Ashlyn had given her.

Jayden was confused about what to do concerning Leliana and Morrigan. He enjoyed spending time with Morrigan, a.k.a. getting naked and sweaty with her every chance he got, but the beautiful witch had made it perfectly clear that she didn't want anything more than a casual fling. It was her total aversion to relationships that made Jayden realize his dream in the fade wasn't real. The sloth demon had put Jayden and Morrigan together living in a quaint little cottage on the edge of Lothering in a world without darkspawn. In his dream, Morrigan acted the part of a sweet, caring wife who loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. It didn't take Jayden long to figure out that the Morrigan in his dream wasn't the real Morrigan.

Although, looking back on what the sloth demon created, Jayden couldn't help but wish for it to be true. Falling in love and starting a family was something he would have never been allowed in the Circle. Now that he was free, Jayden longed to know what it was like to form such a deep personal connection with someone. He saw what was going on between Alistair and Arianna, the longing looks and the light touches, and he had to admit he was jealous. He was ready to try a real relationship._ But would Morrigan ever go for it? Now Leliana on the other hand…_

Jayden still couldn't believe he had almost kissed Leliana atop the Circle Tower. The pretty little redhead had felt amazing in his arms. _I can see a future with Leliana, something I don't think Morrigan would allow. I know Leliana has a secret past, but in time I would hope she could open up to me. It almost seems as though Leliana wants me too. She was getting ready to tell me something, and it must have been serious by the tone of her voice. If only Morrigan hadn't interrupted… _

Jayden knew he would eventually have to choose between two women. Morrigan had made that perfectly clear after Leliana had left them at the top of the tower.

"I am not fond of sharing," she had said.

He did the only thing he knew would distract her from that topic… locked them in the closest unoccupied room and spent the next hour catching up physically.

Jayden truly enjoyed Morrigan's company, and he knew he wasn't quite ready for what they had going to end. _I will just wait and see how things turn out with Morrigan. Until then, I can't let myself get too close to Leliana_

After he was done helping Wynn with her tent, Alistair approached him and asked him to take a walk with him.

"There is something you need to know," the male warrior said as they walked around the camp's perimeter. "Arl Eamon was poisoned by a mage, someone that you know."

Right after they left the Circle Tower, Arianna had brought Jayden, Ashlyn, Leliana, and Wynn up to speed about what was going on in Redcliffe. She had mentioned that the Arl had been poisoned, but nothing was said about it being a mage who did it. Most of the information shared was about how they had helped Bann Teagon defeat an army of the undead and how the Arl's son, Connor, had become possessed because he thought a demon would help him save his father.

"Who?" Jayden asked surprised.

Alistair looked reluctant to answer, but he finally continued, "Your old friend, Jowan."

"What? That's impossible! He was to be taken to Aeonar, the mages' prison."

"Yes, well apparently, Teyrn Loghain found him first. Loghain hired him to poison Eamon in exchange for settling matters with the Circle of Magi due to being a blood mage," Alistair explained.

"I don't understand. How did he get close enough to poison the Arl?"

"Eamon's wife, Isolde, had hired him to teach Connor to control his powers and conceal them from others."

It took a moment for Jayden to process everything. At first, he felt relieved that his old friend was all right, but that relief quickly turned to anger when it sank in that Jowan was responsible for what was happening to Arl Eamon and Redcliffe.

"Stupid idiot," Jayden muttered. "He never learned his lesson." The two men walked on in silence. Jayden finally stopped their progress near a large maple tree and turned to Alistair. "Where is he now?"

"He is locked in the dungeon at the castle. He offered to use his blood magic to enter the fade and free Connor from the demon's control, but he was going to need a blood sacrifice. Isolde offered, but I couldn't stomach the thought of Arl Eamon waking up to discover how his wife died. I can't tell you how thankful I was when Ari suggested going to the Circle of Magi for help."

"Ari?" Jayden said with a smirk.

"What? Can't a guy give his girl a short nickname?" Alistair asked jokingly.

"Of course you can, but since when is she your girl?"

The warrior had a goofy smile. "Since the night before our two groups split up. We are taking things slow though. It's not like I know what I am doing anyways. I don't have much experience in this area," Alistair rambled.

"Well, if you need advice, you know who to come to."

"Thanks," Alistair said before his expression turned serious again. "Look, I just wanted to warn you about Jowan before we got to Redcliffe."

"Thanks man, I appreciate it."

"No problem," Alistair said and started to head back toward the campfire. Before he got very far, Jayden called out to him, "And Alistair, we will find a way to heal Arl Eamon once Connor has been saved."

Alistair gave a weak smile and nodded once to Jayden before continuing back to camp.

- - - - - With An Antivan Crow Spy - - - - -

Zevran Arainai, an elven Antivan Crow, was stealthily hidden in a large maple tree overlooking the Grey Warden camp. He was surprised by the number and diversity of individuals he saw. He was sure Teyrn Loghain had said there would only be four Wardens, but there were over twice that many people in the camp. There were two dwarven merchants, several mages, and even a Qunari of all things.

_Imagine the orgy this group could have, _Zevran thought with a smile. _I have to admit, these Wardens keep the company of some formidable companions._

Zevran had learned much from this scouting excursion, such as there were many beautiful women traveling in this group. In fact, a pretty blond woman seemed to be the one in command as she directed those around her. And the male templar, _Alistair I believe the mage said, _was in a relationship with her. _Although, it sounds as though the man could use a few pointers. Now, if I were him, I would start on 'Ari's'_ _delectable backside… _

He had also learned that the Wardens were traveling back to Redcliffe. _And I know just the place for the ambush tomorrow. _He knew this was probably a suicide mission. If truth be told, he was counting on it… until he saw a dark-haired elf walk into the main campsite.

_How did I miss her?_ Zevran thought to himself as he watched the gorgeous elf rub a wolf's ears and head towards a tent. He quickly glanced in the direction she came from to see a female mage's campsite a little distance away from everyone else. _The elf must have been visiting that mage. Why is it that the mage secludes herself, I wonder?_

Zevran quickly refocused on what was sure to become his newest fantasy. _She is exquisite… and one of the Dalish,_ Zevran realized when he noticed her armor and light elven tattoo on her forehead. _She looks like Rinna, same slight features and black hair, only Rinna was human._ Zevran couldn't take his eyes off the lovely elf, and he wondered why she seemed sad as she approached her tent. _Why couldn't the templar and male mage have gossiped about her?_

It took Zevran a moment to realize he was lost in her bright green eyes, eyes that were staring right in his direction. _She senses me, _Zevran thought amused. He knew he was completely hidden from sight, so he was highly impressed with her Dalish survival skills for picking up on his presence at all. _Beautiful and skilled… a deadly combination._

Zevran watched as she shook her head as if to clear it and go on into her tent. _A marvelous female specimen. What I wouldn't give to spend one night with her alone in that tent. Oh, who am I kidding? I might need more than one night with that elf to do everything I would want. _

Deciding he had enough information to pull off the attack tomorrow, Zevran withdrew from the Wardens' campsite. He was saddened as he headed back towards his own camp. _I will never get to act out my fantasies with that Dalish elf, because after tomorrow… one of us will be dead._


	10. Chapter 10 Meeting Zevran

A/N: This chapter is in memory of our beautiful husky puppy Lexi… she died on New Year's Day. She was curled up beside me on the couch while I wrote the beginning of this chapter, and I think she was just as excited as I was that our Warden group was finally going to meet Zevran. As I continue to write this story, there won't be a moment when I write about Arrow (Ashlyn's wolf) that I won't think of Lexi. She was our first baby… we will always love her, and words cannot convey just how much she will be missed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age Origins or any of its characters - They are the property of Bioware.

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Chapter 10 – Meeting Zevran

The Wardens and their companions were on the road early the next morning. The goal was to reach Redcliffe by sundown. They had already traveled about half the distance, and were planning to stop soon for lunch and a quick rest. Ashlyn had taken advantage of the traveling time to learn more about Wynne. The older female mage was as kind as they come, if not a little motherly. _She reminds me of my Godmother, Ashalle, _Ashlyn thought with a smile.

"So you are the one I was making the potions for?" Wynne asked after hearing Ashlyn's story of how she came to be a Grey Warden.

"That was you? Ma serannas, Wynne! I can't tell you how much they helped. I wouldn't have made it to the joining if it had not been for those potions."

"You are most welcome, child. It makes me happy to hear that those potions went to good use. It seems as though very little positive came out of the Battle of Ostagar."

"Yes, it was very tragic," Ashlyn agreed. "So was what happened to the Circle of Magi."

"But that would have been so much worse had it not been for you, Jayden, and Leliana." They continued on in silence for a moment before Wynn leaned in conspiratorially and said, "I must admit, I have always had a special place in my heart for Jayden. Although, I am worried about his developing relationship with that apostate."

Wynne and Morrigan had taken an instant disliking to one another. The younger mage did have a tendency to speak her mind, hold nothing back. However, if Ashlyn were to be truthful, Morrigan's bluntness was one of the things she liked best about her. The elf also felt as though she understood Morrigan, who had been on the run and was an outcast for most of her life. After all, Ashlyn was one of the Dalish, so she grew up to be a wanderer and wary of everyone too.

During the trip south to Redcliffe, Ashlyn kept finding herself thinking about the previous evening. She knew there had been some other presence in the camp the night before, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Her suspicions were confirmed just after lunch. The group was just about to pass a path that led down to a ravine when a hysterical woman approached them.

"Oh, thank the Maker! We need help! They attacked the wagons, please help us!" the woman pleaded.

Arianna, being the kind-hearted woman she is, immediately replied, "Of course, we'll help."

"Oh thank you, thank you! Follow me, I'll take you to them," the woman replied as she took off towards the ravine.

_It's a trap! _Ashlyn's survival skills were screaming at her. She knew this was the moment she had been waiting for since the night before.

As the group started to follow the woman, Ashlyn rushed to catch up with Arianna. She gently, but firmly grasped the female warrior's upper arm to get her attention. Arianna quickly turned towards her friend.

All it took was a slight shake of Ashlyn's head for Arianna's eyes to lighten with realization.

Quietly, so she wouldn't alert the supposed 'victim' that they were on to her deception, Arianna whispered, "Get Leliana and the mages behind Alistair, Sten, and me. Be prepared to cover us. I'll have Bodahn and Sandal wait for us back on the main path."

Ashlyn hurried to carry out her orders. In no time at all, she had maneuvered the party's ranged attackers to the back of the group. Arianna had no trouble convincing Bodahn to go back to the main path. He was more than happy to wait for the group and stay safe out of harm's way with his wagon and his son.

The Wardens and their companions arrived at the scene of three broken-down wagons. The oxen that had pulled the wagons had all been butchered, and the dead bodies of the human travelers were scattered about on the ground.

However, there was one person still alive in the clearing. A light blond-haired elf in leather armor stood in the center of all the carnage. _Could he have been the presence from last night? _Ashlyn wondered. _He definitely doesn't have such neutral intentions now. _

The woman who had led them into the ravine walked right up to the elf and nodded. The male elf took a couple of steps forward before making a slight hand gesture, which must have been some sort of signal because all of the sudden the clearing was filled with archers, apostates, and warriors ready for battle.

Before Ashlyn knew what was happening, a tree nearly fell on top of her, Leliana, and the mages. It was only after she leapt and rolled out of the way that she realized the path behind them was now blocked off. There would be no retreat. They would have to stand and fight, which the warriors were already doing.

As an archer, Ashlyn thought it was best to get to high ground. "Leliana, come with me!" she called to the redhead.

The two rogues headed towards a path up the side of the ravine. They couldn't move as fast as they would have liked though, for there were all kinds of traps along the way which had to be disarmed. Once they got to the top, they came face to face with three archers. Luckily, Arrow had been following Ashlyn and quickly charged the men. With Arrow's distraction, Ashlyn had time to pull her daggers and move in for close combat. She got close enough to one man to kick him off the side of the hill. Ashlyn quickly turned and drove one of daggers into the chest of a man getting ready to lunge at her. Leliana caught the last archer with an arrow between the eyes just as he was getting ready to take a shot at Ashlyn.

"Thanks!" Ashlyn said with relief.

"You are most welcome," Leliana replied as they took up positions on the side of the ravine and started sniping targets with their bows and arrows, while Ashlyn's wolf acted as their guard in case someone tried to sneak up on them.

"It's almost like shooting fish in a barrel, isn't it?" Leliana asked.

Ashlyn couldn't help but grin as she fired another arrow, "Yeah, but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun!"

Their location gave them a bird's eye view of the battle. The mages were putting up barriers and casting offensive spells from behind them. Ashlyn could see Wynne cast a healing spell on Alistair right after he was knocked to the ground. He was back up shield-bashing in no time. Watching Sten caused Ashlyn to burst out laughing. An enemy warrior started to charge toward Sten, but stopped short once he realized he was about to fight a Qunari. The man gave a rather girlish scream before running away in the opposite direction.

Leliana and Ashlyn continued to rain arrows down on unsuspecting victims. If their own warriors or mages noticed, they gave no indication. The battle was over quickly, and thanks to Ashlyn's survival skills, the Wardens and their companions came out virtually unscathed.

Together, the two archers and Arrow made their way back down the hill towards the rest of the group, which was converged in a semi-circle around the fallen blond-haired elf.

"He's unconscious," Arianna announced as she finished tying a rope around the captive's wrists. "I wanted a survivor to explain all this to us so I only knocked him out during the fight."

Up close, the male elf was quite attractive. Ashlyn couldn't help but admire his slender, toned physique, but she was immediately upset with herself for having such thoughts. _He is the enemy,_ she reminded herself.

_An enemy that I don't trust any farther than I could throw him. _Ashlyn notched an arrow on her bow and trained it at the stirring elf. _One wrong move and it's lights out for real this time, elf._

"Mmm… what? I… oh," the elf moaned before he realized he was surrounded. "I rather thought I would wake up dead. Or not wake up at all, as the case may be. But I see you haven't killed me yet."

"We want some answers," Arianna demanded for the group.

"Ah! So I am to be interrogated? Let me save you some time. My name is Zevran Arainai, Zev to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of slaying any surviving Grey Wardens... which I have failed at, sadly."

Ashlyn observed Zevran as he was speaking. He spoke casually, but his eyes were constantly searching out any escape point or maybe analyzing if he could take out some of the closest people to him without getting recaptured. But he made no move to brake from his bonds, so he was safe for the time being.

"Who hired you?" Arianna asked.

"A rather taciturn fellow in the capital. Loghain, I think his name was? Yes, that's it."

"You have got to be kidding me," Jayden muttered.

"That back-stabbing bastard! He's trying to keep the truth about what really happened at Ostagar from getting out," Alistair added.

"Yes, and he must be serious about it too by hiring the Antivan Crows," Leliana spoke up. "They are an order of assassins. Very powerful, and renowned for always getting the job done… so to speak."

"I am sure this incident is going to leave a black mark on that illustrious reputation," Ashlyn said speaking for the first time since encountering the male elf.

Zevran's attention locked in on Ashlyn, specifically at the bow she had pointed at him.

"So untrusting, my dear Dalish elf," Zevran admonished. "You can put that away. I can assure you I have no intention of attacking anyone in the near future, at least not with swords or daggers," he said suggestively.

His innuendo didn't go unnoticed by Ashlyn and her cheeks lightly flushed as she looked towards Arianna for direction.

She shared a knowing look with blond warrior, who then turned to the assassin and said, "If there is one thing I know about Ashlyn, it's that if she doesn't trust you, then she has a good reason for it." Arianna looked back to Ashlyn questioningly.

"He was at our camp last night," Ashlyn explained. "I sensed him, but I couldn't pinpoint his location. I wasn't too worried about it at the time because I could sense that the presence wasn't hostile."

Zevran laughed. "I knew you realized I was there. In fact, I swear you looked directly at me. But do not be too troubled about not being able to find me. I am just impressed you knew I was there at all. I am one of the stealthiest of all the Crows, and only someone very skilled would have been able to even sense me."

Now Ashlyn's cheeks were burning for a different reason. _First he's teasing me. Now he's praising me? He is not what I expected at all._

"So what are we going to do with him?" Jayden asked interrupting Ashlyn's thoughts.

"I say we leave him tied up here for his fellow Crows to find. I would guess they would be more than happy to dispose of him for failing to kill us," Morrigan stated dryly.

"Well, this is a first. I actually agree with the witch," Alistair said disbelievingly.

"The lovely mage is quite right. I failed to kill you, so my life is forfeit. That's how it works. If you don't kill me, the Crows will. But, assuming you are done interrogating me, I have a proposition for you," Zevran said speaking to Arianna.

"Alright, let's hear it," Arianna responded cautiously.

"Thing is, I like living. And you obviously are the sort to give the Crows pause. So let me serve you, instead."

Ashlyn was dumbfounded at the elf's words, so much so that she missed part of the following conversation, only catching bits and pieces of how Zevran was sold into the Crows' service as a child. _Him, travel with us? Oh no, that is a terrible idea! _It wasn't that she was worried he would try to finish the job later, although that thought did eventually cross her mind. Her first concern was the way her body reacted to his presence. She hadn't been attracted to anyone since Tamlen. _Tamlen… how could I even think of another male like that? _Ashlyn was immediately consumed with guilt.

Oblivious to Ashlyn's thoughts, Arianna asked Zevran, "Why would we want your service?"

"Why? Because I am skilled at many things, from fighting to stealth and picking locks. I could also warn you should the Antivan Crows attempt something more… sophisticated… now that my attempts have failed. I could also stand around and look pretty, if you prefer. Warm your bed? Fend off unwanted suitors? No?" As he spoke those last words his eyes went from one woman in the party to the next.

"Oh, hell no!" Alistair shouted at the same time as Jayden exclaimed, "Absolutely not!"

"Aw, yes. Some of you lovely women are taken, but not all of you, no?" Zevran asked while looking directly at Ashlyn.

Ashlyn couldn't believe the nerve on this guy. Sensing her discomfort, Arrow immediately growled at the male elf. Ashlyn gently scratched along the wolf's back to calm her. The black-haired elf certainly had no intention of answering that particular question. Instead, she posed a question of her own, voicing aloud her previous thoughts. "You must think we are royally stupid. What is to stop you from trying to kill us down the road?"

"I think you are royally tough to kill. And utterly gorgeous. Not that I think you'll respond to simple flattery. But there are worse things in life than serving the whims of a deadly sex goddess." Zevran turned away from her then to address the rest of the group. "And as to the matter of trying to kill you in the future… even if I did kill you now, the Crows might kill me just on principle for failing the first time. Honestly, I would rather take my chances with you."

_And I thought my cheeks were burning before,_ Ashlyn thought, embarrassed yet again.

"So what shall it be?" Zevran asked. "I'll even shine armor. You won't find a better deal, I promise."

Arianna made eye contact with Ashlyn again. It almost seemed as though the warrior was trying to apologize without saying anything. _She wouldn't… _Ashlyn thought right before Arianna announced.

"Very well, Zevran. You may join us."

_Oh merciful gods, she would…_ Of course Ashlyn would never admit it out loud, but the thought of the male elf dying didn't sit well with her. That didn't mean she was ready to travel with him though.

"What!" Alistair exclaimed exasperated. "You are taking the assassin with us now? Does that really seem like a good idea?"

"We need all the help we can get, especially if we have these Antivan Crows after us now," their leader explained. "But don't worry. It isn't like I trust him yet. We'll keep him bound until we know for sure he isn't a threat to us." Arianna stopped a moment to look around the group. "Sten," she called to the Qunari warrior.

"Yes, Warden," the large warrior responded.

"Zevran is now your charge. See to it that he is kept in line," Arianna instructed. The Qunari nodded and moved closer to the male elf.

"I love the way your beautiful mind works." Alistair laughed realizing Arianna had just set Sten on guard duty. He turned serious again after a moment. "Still, if there was a sign we were desperate, I think it just knocked on the door and said hello."

Zevran gulped as he looked up at the large Qunari and then back to Arianna. "Yes, well… I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you, until such a time as you choose to release me from it. I am your man, without reservation… this I swear."

- - - - - With Zevran - - - - -

_This has been a most unexpected turn of events, _Zevran thought reflecting on his current situation as he walked with his hands bound behind his back. He took a moment to stealthily fiddle with his bindings and realized he would easily be able to break free if he chose to. _One of the first things I am going to do once they trust me is to teach our lovely leader how to tie a proper knot._

Having a Qunari for a guard made Zevran slightly uncomfortable. It did not seem like Sten was very fond of elves or interested in conversation. Thus, it was a rather quiet trip until an adorable redhead welcomed Zevran into the group and introduced herself as Leliana. She then proceeded to explain who everyone else was that was traveling with the group. Zevran was quick to recognize she was going to be a valuable ally as well as good source of information on his traveling companions. _This girl loves to gossip, _Zevran thought with a smirk… _My kind of girl._

However, his fun was interrupted when the male mage, Jayden, came and gently led Leliana away. Apparently, the mage didn't appreciate all the lewd comments Zevran was making to the redhead. _Protective, isn't he?_ _How was I to know that merely offering my services to help the pretty redhead find some sexual release after being cloistered away in the Chantry the last couple years would upset the man? My, my… if looks could kill. _Zevran then noticed the way the female mage, or witch as Alistair called her, narrowed her eyes as she watched Jayden with Leliana. _A love triangle… how interesting. Oh yes, being a part of this group is going to be entertaining!_

To be honest, Zevran was delighted with the way things worked out because he now had the opportunity to learn more about his newest obsession, the exquisite black-haired elf, whose name he now knew was Ashlyn. Although, the female elf seemed to be doing everything in her power to stay away from him. She spent most of her time talking to Arianna and Alistair as they traveled, but he did catch her sneaking glances at him from time to time.

It was because of Ashlyn that Zevran had been 'captured'. Of course, Zevran would never tell anyone that he had been distracted during a fight. _If I hadn't been checking to see if she was all right, I never would have been caught off guard like that._ Zevran had been mesmerized watching the female elf fight her way up the side of the ravine. _That girl is seriously impressive with a bow and arrow. _

Zevran couldn't help but want to learn more about the lovely elf. He wanted to know why she had been so sad the night before at their camp. He also wanted to know what color her undergarments were. _She is very guarded and untrusting. Not to mention she has a wolf that I am going to have to try to appease just so I can get close to her. She will be a challenge, but I have always loved a good battle of wills. And if there is one thing I know, no woman can resist my charm for long. I can't wait to have her legs wrapped around my waste and her hands buried in my hair._

- - - - - Passage of Time - - - With Jayden - - - - -

_That elf is going to be trouble, _Jayden thought for what had to be the hundredth time since they had acquired their new 'travelingcompanion'. It had taken all of his patience earlier just to get Leliana away from the blond-haired menace and not fry the bastard with his best lightening spell. He knew he had no say in who Leliana could be with, and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit. He realized he was going to have to think about this later… there were more pressing matters that needed his attention, like the fact that Redcliffe could now be seen in the distance. They would arrive just after sunset.

Since being freed from the Circle Tower, Jayden had been soaking up as much of the landscape and scenery as he could. He never imagined such beauty existed in the world. The way the fading colors of the day reflected off Lake Calenhad nearly took his breath away. Having Leliana by his side made it even more enjoyable. She had heard many stories of Redcliffe, which she eagerly told as they made their way through the village. Alistair, who had been so distracted with worry about the Arl and his family, even managed to listen and chime in with his own details and confirm a lot of the information Leliana told them. _She has this wonderful way of weaving a story. She must have done quite well as a minstrel. She certainly has everyone in our group enchanted, _Jayden thought noticing the way the others were also listening intently to the pretty redhead.

As they approached the castle, First Enchanter Irving asked Jayden for a moment of his time.

"I will just go catch up with Ashlyn," Leliana said before leaving the two male mages to speak alone.

Once Leliana was out of earshot, Irving began, "Your friends have told me that Jowan is the one responsible for the Arl being poisoned, and that he is currently a prisoner here at Redcliffe Castle. Are you prepared to face him?"

Jayden let out a deep sigh. "I don't know. It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that he turned to blood magic. It has cost him so much."

"More than either of you realize I'm afraid," Irving said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Jayden asked.

"Lily, the chantry sister Jowan loved and tried to escape with, wasn't taken to Aeonar. The Chantry leaders decided to use her as an example of failing to follow the rules concerning mages…"

When Irving didn't continue, Jayden stated aghast, "You don't mean…"

"Yes, my boy. They had her executed."

Jayden looked at the First Enchanter with shock and disbelief in his eyes. "How… how could they? She surrendered willingly! She detested Jowan's use of blood magic! I thought the Chantry believed in righteousness and forgiveness." _Poor Jowan, I wonder if he even knows._

"Jayden, I wanted you to be aware of how much trouble your friend is in. It is very possible the Arl's wife will have Jowan hung for what he has done to her family," Irving said placing a hand comfortingly on Jayden's shoulder.

"Perhaps we can reason with her, convince her to release him back into the custody of the templars to be taken to Aeonar. Of course, given what the Chantry did to Lily, there is no guarantee he wouldn't be executed going that route either, is there?"

The First Enchanter shook his head sadly.

"Is there nothing I can do to help him?" he asked quietly.

"Depending on how things go, you may be able to offer Jayden a way out. You will know if it is possible when the time is right," Irving said cryptically.

"Huh? What do you-"

Before he could finish, Irving interrupted, "We don't have time to go into details. I must explain to you what needs to be done to prepare to send you into the fade to save the boy. Time is of the essence."

"Me? Who said I was going?"

"It has to be a mage, my boy. And you are the best choice. If anyone can defeat a desire demon, it would be you," Irving stated proudly.

Hearing his mentor's heartfelt words gave Jayden all the encouragement he needed. He readily set in listening to the First Enchanter explain how they were going to send him into the fade and what he would be facing once he was there.

It wasn't until much later that Jayden learned Morrigan had listened in on his entire conversation with First Enchanter Irving.

- - - - - Meanwhile With Leliana - - - - -

Leliana hurried to catch up with Ashlyn who was now standing outside the castle gates with Arianna. The two Wardens were watching their canines, Arrow and Duke, play together. Leliana couldn't help but smile as she watched the wolf and dog chase and tackle one another.

"You two are going to have to be careful with your four-legged friends, or else we are going to have little mabari-wolf pups running around," Leliana said to the women.

"Don't even think about it Duke!" Arianna yelled out to her mabari, who stopped his play long enough to look back at her with a 'What?' expression on his face.

The three women giggled before Ashlyn said, "So Jayden is going to go into the fade to save the Arl's son, isn't he?"

"I hope so," Arianna said. "He is our best candidate, and Alistair has been so worried about Connor. I know it will make him feel better if Jayden is the one to do it."

Leliana was surprised at first that her companions thought Jayden was going to be the one to go into the fade. _Isn't this going to be incredibly dangerous?_ But after hearing Arianna's comments, she had to agree that Jayden would do everything in his power to save the child. "Yes, that must be why First Enchanter Irving wanted to speak with him just now."

"That makes sense. I am sure they have a lot to prepare for," Arianna said.

"Don't worry Leliana. Jayden will be fine. He did get us out of the fade back at the Circle Tower," Ashlyn reminded her.

"Oh, I am not worried…" Leliana said unconvincingly.

Arianna and Ashlyn shared a knowing smile.

"Sure you aren't," Arianna said with a laugh.

"Oh, like you are one to talk, Ari. I saw the way you reacted when Alistair was knocked down back when we were ambushed," Leliana said to the pretty blond.

"Hey, don't turn this on me," Arianna retorted good-naturedly. "I think it is fairly obvious I am with Alistair. You on the other hand are in one viscous competition with a witch."

"Yes, and I don't know what to do about it. I really like him," the redhead admitted.

"Just give it some time," Arianna said. "He told us once that Morrigan wasn't interested in anything long-term."

"And if it's any consolation, I think he likes you too," Ashlyn added.

"I hope you gals are right." Leliana sighed. "Oh well, if it doesn't work out, I may have to make a try for our scrumptious-looking new elf. Although, it does seem like he already has his sights set on you, Ashlyn."

The elf blushed adorably before replying, "What are you talking about? He was checking out all of us women back at the ravine."

"Yes, but he was only staring at you while we traveled," Leliana said smugly.

The poor little thing got even redder. "You… must be mistaken," she sputtered while Arrow came running up to her, as if to see if she were all right.

_That wolf is so in tune with her, _Leliana thought while watching Ashlyn bend to scratch Arrow's belly._ Ashlyn couldn't ask for a better friend and guardian._

"Besides, I have all the companionship I need right here," the elf said lovingly referring to her wolf.

"We'll see about that," Leliana said while sharing a mischievous grin with Arianna. _I don't think my elven friend has any idea what is in store for her. Something tells me Zevran isn't going to be easily deterred._


End file.
